Between earth and heaven
by TheLittle MissVixen
Summary: On the day her father remarried, Elena Gilbert set eyes on Damon Salvatore for the first time, and from that moment he became her protector, her executioner, her best friend and her enemy. She should have been afraid of him but she wasn't, because something in his eyes told her he understood and would never let any harm come to her, she had been foolish enough to believe that.
1. Prologue

**"Between earth and heaven, this woman must be the most evil and the most hated person ever, yet between earth and heaven, she was also the softest, the gentlest."**

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**PROLOGUE**

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Desmond Tutu once said "You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

Elena Gilbert understood quite well the meaning of those words; having lost her mother at the tender age of five and being left with nothing but a cold father who never spared a glance in her direction. Her mother had been a sweet woman who doted on her and read her stories before going to bed every night. Once she was gone, Elena was thrust into the hands of nannies or nursemaids who never cared for more than getting their paychecks.

Once her mother was gone, there were no longer happy smiles or sweet words whispered in her direction. The smell of cinnamon cookies no longer permeated the air in the house, and her father became an even more strangled person than he was before. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, Elena started forgetting what family meant. She forgot the feeling of being protected and veiled by someone stronger than you.

But then the Salvatores arrived.

It was the winter of 1999 and Elena had just turned six when her father decided to remarry. She had never met the woman before, but she was shoved into a lacy and puffy cream colored dress and forced to walk down the aisle with a smile on her face as she threw away petals of some nice smelling flower. She had been nervous, a small trembling figure standing in the aisle as a strange woman followed behind her to take her mother's place. Her body quivered as she stood among the maze of unknown people.

And then he held her hand.

She probably should have been scared of him. In another circumstance she might have been but not in that moment, when everything around her was scarier than the boy with the broken face in front of her.

He stood taller than her, given that he was ten at the time. He had the darkest of hairs and eyes a shade so blue it was like staring into an ocean. His mouth was set in a straight line and his eyes stone cold as they looked at the couple marrying a few feet away from them. But the gentle squeeze of his hand let Elena know he understood, and from that moment on he became her protector.

It didn't matter that half his face was the one of a monster, as a result of the bullet marks that had disfigured him at a young age. She didn't care that as the years went by he became colder and meaner. That he started spending too much time with her father. Or that every time he came from visiting his grandfather in Colombia, it seemed that the boy who held her hand in that church died a bit more.

It didn't matter that once he reached twenty they started calling him "La Parca" (The Reaper) and that people flinched at the mere mention of his name, because for Elena Gilbert he was never a monster. He had been her protector, her angel, and the one who had shown her the true meaning of family.

If anyone told the girl of six that nineteen years after that boy squeezed her hand at the church she was going to have him kneel at her feet with the barrel of her gun aimed at his head, she wouldn't have believed them. She could hardly believe it right now, as she stared down into his troubled blue eyes.

"You might kill me, but you'll never get rid of me."

His words echoed throughout the dimly lit warehouse before the sound of a gunshot transcended everything else.

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**So, yeah, another story coming! What do you think? Is it worth the shot?**


	2. A love that was more than love

_Hey there!_

_I'm really excited about this new story so I really hope you're all liking it as much as I do, thanks a lot for reading and please let me know what do you think of it._

_Also, huge huge thanks to Nuha**. **for being super kind and offering to be the beta for this story, I'm really excited to be working with her so I really hope you're working with me._

_Please enjoy!_

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"We loved with a love that was more than love"

**-Edgar Allan Poe-**

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**CALÍ, COLOMBIA**

**2009**

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He was taken to her from the very first moment they met; a quivering little girl who was ten seconds away from crying in that crowded church. He was ten at the time and had no patience for whiny girls he didn't know, but there had been something in those honeyed eyes that made him reach for her and squeeze her hand.

She had looked up at him and showed him the tiniest of smiles, one that carved itself into his heart and mind. Perhaps it was the fact that she didn't even flinch at the sight of his marred face, the one kids at school were scared about, or maybe it was just the innocence in her expression. Whatever it was, from that moment on Damon became her protector, her saviour, and her family.

She stood at the foot of his bed for the first time in the first week after their parents got married. A tempest was battering the trees outside their windows. The lightning repeatedly illuminated the dark house, along with the echoes of thunder as their parents fucked almost just as savagely as the storm itself. Their noises resonated with such appalling clarity throughout the entire house, that it came to the point where he had to cover his head with a pillow to stop himself from listening.

He felt her watching him though, and removed the pillow to see her staring at him from where she stood. A pink pajama covered her while she clutched a worn out teddy bear in her hands. No words were exchanged, her soft eyes just looked at him expectantly and he pushed aside the covers as an offering of comfort. She smiled brightly before running to him, climbing into his bed with ease.

From that moment on, she slept with him whenever there was a storm, snuggling into his protective embrace and blocking out the whole world outside the room. He became her safe haven. The one who read her stories and smuggled cookies from the kitchen for her. The one who played with her and Stefan. The one who reassured them everything was going to be okay whenever their parents were gone.

But he was also the first to show her pain. He was the one who spoke cruelly and coldly to her before taking her in his arms and comforting her. The one who explained to her the nature of the job they had, even going as far as making sure she witnessed some of his most atrocious acts. He didn't want her blinded to the nature of their world as ignorance meant death, and he wanted her to be strong instead.

So he became her protector, her saviour, her teacher, her family, her best friend, and the one person she longed for more than anyone or anything. She could barely stand to be away from him on the long weeks his maternal grandfather or uncle took him to Colombia or Italy respectively. So it didn't surprise Damon one bit to hear her storming into his room when she heard the news.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she spat the minute the bedroom door closed behind her. His eyes abandoned the PSP in his hands and focused their gaze on her, her hair high in a ponytail and his honey eyes sparkling with anger as she looked down at him.

He chuckled and shifted his attention back to the game in his hands as he murmured low in his throat, "Oye, qué boca tan sucia tienes, niña bonita!" **– **"**Hey, what a dirty mouth you have, pretty girl!"**

Elena rolled her eyes and moved to the bed where he was casually resting, his head leaning against the headboard and legs stretched out lazily. She huffed as she climbed onto the bed next to him, dropping herself onto his plush pillows "You know I didn't understand a thing you said."

"That's because you're lazy and won't work on your Spanish," he answered without even sparing a glance in her direction.

Damon Salvatore descended from a mixture of cultures. His mother, a dazzlingly beautiful Colombian woman named Isabella, had married the Italian mobster Giuseppe Salvatore when she was only sixteen. A marriage that was of course arranged by their parents. Ten years later, not even two months after her first husband's death, Isabella had remarried. Her second husband was Jon Gilbert, New York mobster and Elena's father.

Damon had spent his entire childhood split between Colombia and Italy. Once they joined the Gilbert family, he was forced to divide his time with America, too. The frequent changes sometimes gave him whiplash, but also fed his hunger for knowledge regarding cultures and languages. If he hadn't been doomed to his job since birth, he would have liked to become a travel journalist. Which was why he was always pestering Elena about her studies, spending most of their time frustrated in her lack of interest in other languages.

"I have no Colombian heritage, Damon," Elena said, answering his earlier remark, "I don't need to speak Spanish."

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes as his fingers moved frantically over the buttons of his PSP, "It's called being an educated woman, Elena."

She huffed, "Don't try to change the subject!"

Elena snatched the console from his hands and paused it before hiding it underneath the pillow she was using. Damon muttered a curse under his breath but didn't reprimand her. He only sighed and shifted himself so he could rest on his side and stare at her ,"What is it now, sweetheart?"

Elena stared at him without speaking for a brief moment. He was resting on the good side of his face, so the side of his face bared to her gaze was the one which been mutilated by a bullet when he was only six. The bullet that almost killed him and had left him scarred for life, both literally and figuratively.

It was jarring to stare at him so openly, and Elena felt that ache in her chest that grew whenever she saw his scar. Not because it was grotesque in her eyes, but because it reminded her of the pain he had suffered as a child. It always served as a reminder that no matter what was spoken of him, he was not invincible.

She reached towards his face and traced the marks with soft fingers. "You are going to Italy", she murmured as he closed his eyes at the sensation of her touch.

"Yes, I am."

Elena made a disgruntled noise and moved closer to him, their knees almost touching. "And you're going to leave me here in this hellhole?"

His eyes snapped open, one perfect eyebrow rising in her direction."Hellhole?"

"They don't even let me go outside," she whined with a roll of her eyes, making her appear as a petulant child. Damon had to bite back a smile in response.

"This is a fucking paradise!" he answered, referring to the state they were currently in. Ever since their parents got married it became a custom for them to spend the summer vacations at Damon's grandfather estate in Colombia. The place was massive and had every single amenity a five-star hotel could have. Elena had always loved spending her summers there, which was why Damon was taunting her after the silly complaint she had shared.

"I hate it!"

He chuckled at the sight of her pout, pinching her cheek in an affectionate manner. "Que consentida la nena, creo que la culpa me la tuve yo!" **– "What a spoiled little girl, I think it might have been my fault!"**

Elena swatted his hand away,"Don't do that!" He laughed once more and Elena felt her heart breaking, thinking of how she would not hear him laugh for the rest of the summer. Somehow she was the only one that could make him laugh "Why do you have to go?"

Damon sighed, "Uncle Zach is taking me to oversee some of dad's business."

"Why now?" Elena asked, her lower lip quivering."Can't he wait until we're back in the States?"

Damon smiled at her in a way she couldn't understand. It was a mixture of sadness and joy, a bittersweet thing she didn't want to dwell on too much "The fact you're asking, let's me know you're not ripe yet."

Not liking the expression on his face, Elena decided to lighten the mood and make a joke. "I don't want to stay alone with Stefan," she said "He's still whining about Valerie not returning his calls."

Damon laughed low in his throat. Though the three of them were close and had been thick as thieves all their childhood, most of the times Damon and Elena teamed up to make fun of Stefan, who secretly loved to be the object of their pranks because it was the moment where he could see his brother truly smile.

He shook his head, the smile still lingering on his face "Don't be mean, bonita," he told her before nuzzling her nose and allowing their lips to graze each other softly, a purely platonic gesture they had been doing since the first time she cuddled with him on a stormy night. "I'll be back before you know it" he reassured.

He motioned for her to give back his console and she complied, not without another roll of her eyes. She was constantly doing that to him, so much that he wondered how her eye sockets didn't end up hurting by the end of the day.

Damon continued playing for a while as she remained laying down on his bed, her eyes taking in everything about his room. A room she knew almost as well as she knew her own. Her eyes landed on the black discarded shirt he had been wearing the day before and suddenly the urge to ask him about what she had seen was too much.

She had promised herself she wouldn't mention anything, not after the way he had reacted the last time, but Elena Gilbert had never been too good at keeping her promises.

"I saw you again last night," she said, and continued when she didn't get any reaction out of him, "with that girl father brought."

Elena tasted bile in her mouth as she spoke. Despite the fact that half of his face was disfigured, Damon still attracted the attention of a great deal of females. And he was always more than glad to comply with their every wish. Elena hated it, hated the moments when other girls took priority over her.

"Saw me?" He asked, his eyes still trained on his console's screen.

Elena bit her lip, unsure of how to phrase her words,"You were fucking her… from behind."

"Jesus, Elena!" he muttered as he dropped the game onto his bed, stormy blue eyes flickering towards her and looking her in a way that made her feel like a child.

Hating that look, Elena stuck up her chin, refusing to back down. "Does it hurt?" she asked, "to be fucked from behind?"

One finger went to rest above her lips. "Quiet, you're being too loud."

Elena huffed and pulled away, she sat upright and crossed her legs beneath her as she stared down at him "I want to know," she said eagerly, "to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" he asked, following suit and sitting in front of her "You'll be at least eighteen before I let some shitface anywhere near you." he bit out, jaw set in a straight line as he looked at her with the stony look he had reserved for the people he loathed. Elena didn't like to have that stare directed at her.

"How do you know it hasn't happened?" she threw in his face, simply wanting to defy him because she didn't like how childish he made her feel sometimes.

His face transformed and his lips tipped up in that wicked smirk girls seemed to love and men seemed to fear."Because I can read you like a book." He reached out for her and gripped her chin, moving her face so it was inches away from his. "And I know you know better than to disobey me"

"Cabron"** – "Asshole"**, she whispered, one of the few Spanish words she managed to catch. "But I want to learn"

"You need to learn nothing." he replied with finality as he dropped her chin, moving to rest on the bed, the PSP back in his hands. "And you need to stop with your voyeuristic acts, it's creeping me out."

Elena huffed and dropped down next to him, "You should try being more private then." He didn't answer her and she remained at his side for awhile, just watching him. "Can I play something?"

He smiled and moved his arms so she could enter the circle of his arms "Sure thing bonita, come here." She moved until her head was resting between his shoulder and chest and he handed her the device.

"When are you leaving?" she asked after a while.

"Next week," he answered, lazily stroking the soft hair of her ponytail.

Elena sighed sadly, "This summer is going to suck." He just chuckled in response. Damon continued to watch her play until nightfall came around, signaling that it was time to eat dinner.

Little did they know, that summer was going to change so many things. That Damon's visits would become more infrequent and the demons that haunted him were going to grow. Basking there in the safety of one another, they couldn't possibly have known this. That seven years were going to pass before she could hear him laugh again. Have him back with her, this time never to let her go.


	3. It is a game of want and wanting

Hey there!

Sorry for the delay, I hope this story is still interesting enough to keep you coming back for more. Please forgive me if you spot any grammar mistakes in there, and please remember Elena and Damon aren't actually blood-related since it seems to be a little controversy over that.

Please enjoy!

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"_Impossible loves. I am very much afraid they can become an addiction"_

-**The Borgias, 2011-**

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**2016**

**New York City**

New York in the fall was a dream come true. Central Park turned into a leaf-peeping Paradise, the honey-colored sunsets stole everyone's breath away, the crisp air chilled her deliciously, there was a sense of melancholy floating around, it started being appropriate to huddle away in a warm bar to drink a good scotch before nightfall and the warm, elegant clothes started appearing on the streets, Elena loved this last fact more than anything. She often wondered why would anyone want to live anywhere else but New York.

That particular morning she stepped outside her upper east side apartment wearing a pair of thigh jeans, brown velvet boots and a camel-colored coat over a cream cashmere sweater, her hair was loose and brushed the top of her shoulders as she walked to the sidewalk to hail a cab. Her father had wanted for her to get a driver, but she refused, wanting to preserve the little notion she had of a normal life.

Elena Gilbert was a twenty-three-year-old business student whose family was in the business of illegal commerce; she had learned this little fact at a young age thanks to the one man who had refused to ever lie to her, and for most of her teenage years she had lived face to face with the cruelty and darkness that surrounded their world. But when her stepbrother moved away to Italy when she was only sixteen, her father had taken into his hands to shield her from everything related to the illicit business he ran, a part of Elena was grateful for it but there was another that resented him.

Once Elena was old enough to go to college, her father had allowed her to separate from her family and move away to her own apartment, unlike her other step-brother who still lived with them in the big mansion her father owned just in the edges of the city, at first Elena wouldn't understand why he would choose to remain there instead of live on his own, but then it occurred to her that perhaps he wasn't given a choice because he was needed, unlike her.

It had stung a bit, but she had overcome it and had dedicated herself to alienate her persona from the darkness that surrounded her family. She worked hard, studied even harder, was nice to everyone and tried to not feel bad whenever people walked away from her after hearing her last name. She had only one good friend and perhaps the only thing from her other life she didn't want to let go, Bonnie Bennett, daughter of his father's right-hand man and the girl who had grown up with her and knew the deepest parts of her soul.

It was her who Elena was texting that chilly morning as she rode in the cab to her parents' house, a small overnight bag sitting on the seat next to her. It was Friday and her father's birthday, old Jon Gilbert had wanted to make an ostentatious celebration to rejoice on his fifty year anniversary and Elena being the dutiful daughter she was, hadn't been able to reject the invitation.

Once in the gates of the house, Elena sighed loudly before paying the fare to the wide-eyed driver and stepping out of the car. The propriety was tall and daunting before her, a place of so many memories and fears, the place that represented the weight of a burden she did not wish to carry but that was hers nonetheless.

With heavy steps she dragged herself through the white steps of the porch, her light pink bag slouched over her shoulders as she crossed the entry archway, expecting to hear her step-mother's piercing voice greeting her from the other side, but instead she heard a very different voice.

"Pero que cosa tan bonita me trajo el viento"** (What a beautiful thing the wind brought to me)** Elena's head whipped around and saw her step-brother leaning over the white porch balustrade "Sei bellisima cara" (**You are beautiful dear)**

Elena stared at him awestruck for a couple of seconds before her face split into a wide grin, her legs taking her to him on their own accord "You jerk, saying all those things so I can't understand a single thing"

His arms went around her the minute she was in front of him, her nose burying in his neck and breathing in the woodsy smell she had missed so much, Damon Salvatore had always been the one thing about the life she hated that she wanted to keep, and he was constantly being taken away from her.

He chuckled as he pulled away from her, his hand gripping her at arm's length as he observed her "It's not my fault you chose not to practice your languages"

She rolled her eyes in response "Oh I'm sorry, I'm too busy trying to earn myself a degree"

Damon laughed and pinched her cheek softly "Cheeky little thing"

Elena's smile couldn't have been wider, few were the times when she was able to see Damon after he moved to Italy, they still talked on the phone a lot but it wasn't the same. Every time she answered another call of his, she had the sense she was talking with a new version of Damon, like he changed whenever she couldn't see him until he was no longer the one she used to know.

She looked up at him, at that marred skin of his face and the way his mouth twisted grotesquely whenever he smiled, her heart swelled at the sight of his broken face, the face she had missed so much "I didn't know you were coming…father didn't mention it"

"He didn't know"

Elena raised an eyebrow "You're rebelling yourself?"

Elena was Jon Gilbert's only child so when he married Isabella he had taken the Salvatore boys as his own, grooming them and teaching them about the business; from the moment he first took them on a trip alone, Damon became his shadow, following him around and answering to his every request.

Elena had hated her father for that, for taking him away from her whenever he pleased.

"What can I say? I like to live on the edge" He said and the carefree expression that had been on his face transformed, his jaw setting and features changing until he became almost scary to her "I am a big boy now, he can't keep bossing me around"

She stayed silent for a couple of seconds after that, the air around them suddenly too charged with unnamed emotions, but then he raised his hand and placed a strand of hair behind her ear, making her shiver in response to his touch.

"How long will you stay here?"

The good side of his lip tipped up in a smile "For good"

Elena breath caught at her throat "Don't play with me like that"

"I am not, Uncle Zach has things under control in Sicilia, it was time for me to come home" His blue eyes were conflicted and Elena wondered what new demon was tormenting him, what was he hidden behind those ocean eyes "Though I must take a little trip to Cali before settling back here"

She snorted and punched his chest playfully "I knew it was too good to be truth"

He didn't laugh like she expected him to, his expression turned somber as he moved his eyes away from her and stared at the distance "Grandpa is sick, very sick" He told her "I want to be there before…"

Elena cupped his face and forced him to look down at her "Hey, nothing bad will happen to your grandfather"

He half smiled and dropped his forehead into hers "Te extrañe mucho bonita" **(I missed you so much pretty girl)**

Elena smiled "I've missed you Damon" Her hands settled on his chest, her whole being in ecstasy at the feel of his heart beating underneath her palms "Promise me you'll stay this time"

"I will" He vowed as he pulled away from her, his hand finding hers and leading her inside the house "And I'll also kick the ass of that boyfriend of yours"

Elena groaned and threw her hands up in exasperation "Oh my God Stefan has such loose lips"

Damon laughed and threw an arm over shoulders, hugging her to his side as they walked inside "Men are gossip babe, deal with it"

Elena rolled her eyes and promise to murder Stefan sometime later.

"So, you'll be staying here tonight?"

"Yeap, the family under the same roof again"

A wicked smile curved her lips as she rose on her tip tops to whisper in his ear "Can I still climb into your bed at night?"

He shook his head in amusement before pecking her lips softly, the way they always used to do "Let's not hold our breath"

Elena beamed up at him and for the first time in a while felt grateful at being back in her childhood home.

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Elena never liked her father's circle of friends, and it wasn't the fact that they were criminals because she had learned to embrace the middle tints of life a long time ago, after all her own step-brothers whom she loved more than anything were both feared criminals.

No, Elena didn't like his father's friends because men sometimes stared at her chest for too long, got handsy with her step-mother and always seemed to have a hidden secret beneath their eyes she knew could be deadly. The women instead of looking at her chest gave her disdainful looks and whispered behind her back while trying to cop a feeling of one of her step-brothers, Elena guessed that they weren't so different from ordinary people, with the single exception they could end you in your sleep if they wanted to.

For this reason, Elena rarely attended her father's dinner parties and he seemed to be okay with that arrangement. John Gilbert wasn't like Bonnie's father, who liked to parade her daughter on every occasion. No, most of the times it was like if Elena didn't exist at all, and she was damn fine with that, sometimes she could almost pretend to be a normal girl for a while, though eventually the shadows that haunted her life since an early age always came back to remind her there was nothing ordinary about the world she lived in.

But today it was her father's birthday party and she had been forced to attend, to cram herself into a too tight dark blue dress her stepmother had gotten for her and style her hair in soft curls that reached her cheeks, her eyes were smoky blue and a simple nude color graced her lips, men's eyes had been on her ever since she walked down the stairs, a fact that made her skin crawl and forced her to step into the balcony to get some air, place where she found her younger step-brother nursing a tumbler of scotch.

"You look depressing" She said as she managed to sit on one the white iron chairs facing the back patio without ripping her dress.

"Thanks" Stefan answered drily from where he was sitting in the seat next to hers.

Elena glanced in his direction as he started typing on his phone and was able to see the name on his screen "Jesus, are you still trying with Valerie?" She asked, referring to the girl her step-brother had been following around since they were teenagers and who had broken his heart in more than one occasion.

"You wouldn't understand"

"I thought you were with Lexie now"

Stefan released a sigh as he pulled away his phone and leaned back on his chair "She and I are strictly casual" He answered, his head lolling to the side and giving her a mischievous look "Which means we're only fucking"

"I know what it means, you asshole" Elena rolled her eyes "Does Lexie knows that? Because if she doesn't you should let her know. Don't be a jerk"

Stefan chuckled "Look who's talking"

Elena's eyebrows rose with a questioning look "Excuse me?"

"You keep that Matt around with promises of fake love and he follows you around like a puppy thinking that perhaps one day you'll wake up and realize he's the one" Stefan's words were delivered with such a dramatic gesture that Elena felt like punching him "Which we both know won't happen"

She gave him a tight smile "Perhaps it will"

He shook his head and stared straight at her "Come on Len, we both know he can't handle you"

Elena thought back to his words for a couple of seconds, the image of kind sweet Matt appearing on her head as she did so. He was handsome, had money, always treated her like a queen and gave her perhaps one orgasm a week, but he wasn't exciting, he bored her sometimes and always seemed like he was ready to take the next step.

Elena wasn't if she was honest with herself, she didn't even know why she kept him around, perhaps that the alternative of being alone didn't appeal her so much and preferred to have him at her disposal.

She sighed deeply and reached for the tumbler in Stefan's hands, giving it a big swing before speaking again "What's up with Valerie now, she decided she actually wants to be with you?" She changed the topic again, knowing she wasn't nearly as drunk as she wanted for an evaluation of her feelings.

"Valerie loves me"

"Oh, she does" Elena snickered "What does her husband think of that?"

Stefan snatched the tumbler out of her hands "You are very bitchy today Len" He took a sip and gave her an amused glance "Everything all right at home?"

She didn't answer, but his eyes kept glued on her, curiosity shining in them "What?" She asked, feeling unnerved under his stare.

He chuckled before tearing his eyes away from her, his words whispered more to himself than to her "Not even a full day and he already has you all twisted into knots"

Elena took a deep breath and straightened in her chair "I am going to pretend like I didn't listen to a thing you said" She stood up, smoothed down her dress and threw him a look "Now come on let's back to the party"

He whined like a petulant child "I don't want to, those evil mafia dolls are way too drunk now, they'll start grabbing my junk soon enough"

Elena laughed and offered him her hand "Come on Salvatore, I'll keep you safe"

With an overly dramatic sigh, he took the offering hand and stood up, they head inside the party and proceeded to spend the next hour trying to keep him out of privy hands.

* * *

The rest of the night was uneventful, much to Elena's delight, the only downside of her night was the fact she barely had time to speak with Damon. He spent the entire night surrounded either by his father's associates or by a brisith girl named Rose who seemed to cling to his every word.

Elena had no idea where she had come from but she had hated the fact that she looked beautiful and sophisticated, but more than anything she had hated that Damon seemed absorbed in her. It had been so long since she had seen him with someone else that she had forgotten how much she resented whenever he paid attention to someone who wasn't her. Elena knew it wasn't rational thinking, that perhaps it had something to do with the fact he had practically raised her and made her his priority all the time, it didn't have anything to do with the attraction she felt for him…because he was family, her family and would never see her as anything more than that.

Those were the thoughts running through her head that night, she tossed and turned for hours before completely giving up and stepping out of her room with the sole purpose of getting some warm milk, so she could relax, but as she stepped into the hallway the sound of voices made her stop in her tracks.

She took a hand to her chest as she continued walking towards the sound of the voices, her feet bare and soundless against the carpeted floor.

"Again, tell me"

Elena's skin broke in goosebumps at the sound of Damon's commanding voice coming from downstairs. The whole house was pitch dark, but one of the drapes had been moved to the side so the moonlight illuminated a part of the living room.

She gasped when she spotted Damon and Rose leaning against one of the living room pillars, her front pressed against the cold marble as he pounded her from behind.

Elena wasn't able to move away, her body was partly hidden by one the walls so she knew it was very unlikely she would be spotted, yet she knew it would be wrong to stay, but then Damon moaned low in his throat and without knowing how her hands found their way beneath her silk pajama shorts and started stroking herself. Her skin prickled with heat as she watched Damon's thrust powerfully into the other woman. She felt repulsed at seeing him like that with her, but at the same time couldn't walk away, so she closed her eyes and imagined it was her instead.

Her, whose name was being whispered in the ear, whose hips were being gripped by his strong hands and whose pussy was being filled with the thickness of his cock. Her hands moved expertly inside herself, her thumb circling her little numb with abandon as she listened to his groans of pleasure. She could almost feel the smell of his skin, the touch of him in her.

She had to bite her lip to stop herself from screaming once her orgasm reached her, she thrashed against the wall as the pleasure overwhelmed her, as she imagined his body on top of hers finally giving her what she had craved all those years.

She was able to move once her body came down from the high, her wobbly legs carrying her away from the noises that were still resonating in the living room, she trembled as she moved her sweaty body in direction of the hallway she had come from, a part of herself couldn't believe she had done that… again.

Elena had been a mere child of fifteen the first time she masturbated… to the sight of him in the shower, she hadn't been able to control herself back then just like she wasn't able to do it at the moment. A wave of shame invaded her when she thought about Damon finding out, she was sure he would be disgusted with her.

With a heavy sigh, she stepped into the shower, willing to wash away the shame of her actions and hoping to learn a way to control her feelings towards Damon, because he was here to stay and she would rather die than to lose the connection they had just because she hadn't been able to control herself.

Damon was her brother, her protector and her family and she rather have him being that than anything all.

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	4. Make me happy,and I shall be virtuos

**I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, I promise you I'll try my best to make them come sooner. Thanks so much to you all for reading and taking the time to review, please enjoy!**

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"I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.

**-Mary Shelley-**

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Elena Gilbert tightened the coat around her as she stepped outside the tall building of her school and into the cold wide streets of New York. The sun was starting to set and the metropolis bustled with life as the city lights bloomed all over the place.

She stood on the sidewalk for five whole minutes before managing to hail a cab, a record for her, and as she climbed inside and felt her cellphone vibrating against her pocket she couldn't help the stab of remorse that hit her. Matt's parents were in town and he had asked her to come over for dinner, Elena tried to avoid any situation that involved commitment with her boyfriend so she had made up an excuse about a familiar affair now that her brother was back from Italy, and Matt had let her off the hook, but the crestfallen look on his face had burned into her memory, as a reminder that perhaps it was finally time to let go of him.

Elena had never loved her boyfriend, but she liked the company he provided, people tended to get away from her after they learned her last name, and other than Bonnie and sometimes Stefan she never spend time with anyone else but herself. She guessed that was the reason why she held into Matt with such a capricious force, because he provided her comfort when no one else did.

The young girl's head dropped against the cold window pane as she scrolled through her texts and saw the ones of him wishing her good luck on her family dinner, a diner that had come completely out of her imagination because she hadn't even spoken with Damon ever since the night of her father's party. Elena had been so ashamed after what she did.

While it wasn't the first time she touched herself at the thought of him, it was the first time she did it while watching him perform a sexual act with someone else, she felt repulsed with herself, more so because she hadn't been able to stop thinking about the way his body moved against that girl's, always wishing it was her.

Grumbling under her breath at her inability to keep her feelings towards her stepbrother platonic, Elena stepped out of the cab once it stopped at her building's entrance. She kept scrolling absently through her phone on the way up to her apartment, kicking off her shoes in the foyer once she was inside and dropping her bag in the living room couch without taking her eyes off her phone.

She headed in direction of her bedroom and only raised her eyes to switch on the light, a strangled scream leaving her lips when she saw the figure sitting on the small chair by her window.

"Jesus Damon!" A hand went to her chest in an effort to steady her racing heart at the same time she threw a nasty glance in direction of her step-brother, who narrowed his eyes at her before slowly standing up.

"Did all my teaching was shit to you?" He grumbled as he moved towards her, Elena gave him a confused look and nearly gasped when he leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek.

"What?" She asked breathlessly as pulled away and went to drop himself into the soft plush mattress of her bed.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance as he adjusted the cushions on the bed so he was comfortable leaning against the headboard, legs extended and crossed over at the ankles "You're lucky it's me and not some other monster waiting in the dark for you" He took hold of the teddy bear resting on the bed and raised one of its stuffed hands accusingly in direction of Elena "You need to be alert on all times"

Elena scoffed and turned around to sit down in front of her dresser "Don't overreact" She released her hair from the low ponytail she had been sporting and grabbed her brush in order to untangle the knots the wind had created in her short hair.

His jaw clenched in response to her nonchalance "What I showed you when you were little wasn't enough?" His voice was dangerously low and Elena's hand gripped the hairbrush more tightly as her mind took her to a barely lit warehouse many years back "You have one small can of pepper spray to defend you…in your whole house" Damon's voice snapped her out of that dark memory, outrage growing inside her at the implication of his words.

"You went through my stuff?"

His lips widened in the tale tale smirk that suited him too well "The black lacy cheekster was my favorite by the way"

Elena felt her cheeks burning, she huffed and tried to dismiss his words "Jerk" She muttered under her breath.

Damon snorted and threw the teddy bear back in the mattress "I took you to the shooting rank since you were twelve, you have the gun use mastered and yet I don't see a single one"

Elena shrugged "I don't like guns"

He sighed in annoyance before standing up, his eyes fixated on her hands, moving the brush smoothly through her now shorter hair "It's not a matter of liking it Principessa" He said in a low voice, his figure pacing back and forth in her spacious bedroom "Don't be naïve enough to believe you'll never have to use one"

Elena gritted her teeth, unable to hide her annoyance at his bossy attitude. She had been on edge the entire week and the last thing she needed was Damon coming back to tell her how fucked up their life was, to remind her of all the things she had wished so badly to forget during his absence, of the darkness that tainted his soul and made her long for him even more.

"Don't you think at twelve you should have been taking me to the park instead of showing me how to kill people?" She spat out, her anger getting the best of her.

Damon hissed and in an instant, he was towering over her, hands on her shoulder forcing her to turn around enough to look at him "And you think at six I enjoyed getting my face almost split in half?"

Elena flinched at his words, his proximity allowing her to experience firsthand the atrocity of which he had been a victim at a young age "Damon…" She whispered brokenly as she raised a hand to trace the grotesque scar that ran from the corner of his lip up to his ear.

He reared back at her touch "If I hadn't been defenseless perhaps I wouldn't have this"

"You were a kid, Damon"

"That is no excuse!" He shouted and she nearly jumped out of her chair, her eyes widening in terror at the fire that burned in his eyes.

They stared at each other for a couple of seconds in complete silence, until she broke their connection and took a deep breath while she forced herself to turn back towards the mirror, her hand finding the brush again and started gliding it through her locks while she averted his gaze, unable to see the darkness that lurked beneath them.

Damon cocked his head to the side as he studied the way goosebumps had appeared on her skin at his outburst. He moved behind her and found her gaze in the mirror "Are you afraid of me Bonita?" He asked as his fingers found the nape of her neck, despite his efforts to keep her eyes on his in the mirror Elena couldn't help but close them as he ghosted his fingers over her skin, his touch burning a fire trail over her as he moved them.

"You know I am not" She whispered and nearly shuddered as his hands moved from her neck to her exposed collarbone.

He chuckled behind her and lowered his hands until they touched the top of her breasts "Do you not think I am a man to be feared?" He said low in his throat, Elena's head lolled back and rested against his stomach, his erection pressed hard against her back, a fact she was acutely aware of but which she didn't wish to dwell much at the moment.

His fingers moved back to her collarbone with a silk-like touch, her words whispered breathlessly as they settled around her throat, "I think you are one of the most feared men in the world" She told him truthfully before a wicked smile formed in her lips "But I am the one person you would never hurt"

He chuckled and his hold around her throat tightened "Aren't you a little cocky Principessa?" He asked as he lowered his mouth towards her ear at the same time his fingers released her "But this once, I think you have right to be it"

His face went to her neck next, his lips finding the red mark his fingers had left behind and placed a wet kiss against it, Elena shuddered against him, the place between her legs slick with desire "Damon…"

His nose nuzzled against her throat, his hands were now resting below her breasts, feeling every rise and fall of her body "Will you come to Cali with me?" He asked.

"What?"

His thumb graced the underside of her breast and Elena couldn't help but lean towards his touch, wanting him to cup her completely, to touch her like he had touched that woman the other night.

"You know I have to go to Colombia… and I want you to come with me" His words were wicked against her ear, his hips thrusting involuntarily against her back, his cock fully hard and straining against his pants. "Will you?"

"Yes…"

She felt him smiling against her skin and could picture perfectly the wicked gleam in his eyes "That's my girl" He cooed before placing one last kiss against her jaw and straightening up, seemly totally unaffected by what has just transpired between them "Come on, I'll make you dinner" He clapped her shoulders tightly and kissed the top of her head before heading to the door, leaving her breathless and shaking behind him.

Elena stared dumbstruck at the door for a couple a seconds after he left, wondering if perhaps she had finally lost it and everything was a product of her imagination. There was no denying the sexual nature of Damon's touches, something that had never been present in their time growing up.

Could something have changed or perhaps she wanted so badly to believe he could somehow reciprocate her feelings that she allowed herself to see what she wanted to see? Not wanting to twist her head into more knots that it was already in she took a deep breath and counted to five before standing up and following him into the kitchen.

If there was a place in her apartment Elena loved more than her bedroom it was her kitchen. It was large and spacious, decorated all in clear colors and equipped with a fancy oven, a beautiful steel stove, a huge fridge, and a breathtaking white marble counter.

It was in this place, where she often released her stress in the form of chocolate muffins, that she found him. The sleeves of his black button down were rolled to his elbows and his nose buried inside her fridge as he sorted through her groceries.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked as she took a seat in one of the stools of her kitchen counter, her legs still too wobbly to keep her upright.

He made a noise to acknowledge her before straightening up and turning around towards her with a pack of frozen salmon in one hand, "You do like to keep your fridge fancy, huh?" He placed the package on the counter and turned around towards the fridge once again "White or red?"

"White, always"

He chuckled as he pulled out a bottle of unopened white wine from the fridge and grabbed a pair of glasses from her pantry, Elena felt a warmness spreading inside her at the sight of him being so familiar with her kitchen despite the fact he had never set foot in it before "The last thing I remember is you drinking grapefruit Caribe cooler" He told her as he placed a glass in front of her and poured a generous amount of wine.

Elena bit her lip as her mind took her back to hot summers in Colombia, them sitting side by side on the beach with a bottle of the Mexican beverage his grandfather loved so much being shared between them as they giggled about whatever antic Stefan had been up to that day.

She took the glass he offered and gave him a look that was filled with longing "I've outgrown them"

He looked at her for a couple of seconds, sadness clouding his beautiful blue eyes, "You certainly did" He whispered before taking the glass to his lips and erasing all traces of the vulnerability she had seen shining in his eyes seconds earlier.

He turned his back to her once again as he started unwrapping the salmon package. Pans, and groceries finding the way to his hands without Elena knowing how. Damon had always loved to cook and it never ceased to amaze her all the things he could create in only a couple of minutes.

She relaxed back in her chair with the glass of wine dangling casually from her hands, "How long will we be going to Colombia for?"

"A couple of days" He answered as his hands busied themselves chopping some vegetables "I want to see grandfather before…. I want to set his affairs in order"

Elena felt a stab of pain at the tone in his voice. Damon had never been a man to show emotion, not even when she first met him as a kid, he had always been cool and reserved. She guessed it was the armor he used to survive in the world they lived in and that he only let his guard down on occasion around her and Stefan… and his grandfather.

Damon adored the man like no one else and if the implications of his words were right, Elena knew it would be time to say goodbye very soon, she hated to think about it.

She sipped from her wine and asked: "Is it going to be dangerous?"

"Never for you"

Elena sighed "Damon…"

His back stiffened, his hand stopped mid-movement as he slowly turned around to face her "This is the life Elena, suck it up" He spat before getting his attention back towards the stove where he had placed the salmon to grill.

Elena gritted her teeth in annoyance, "Does father knows I'll be going with you?" She spat out like a petulant child.

Instead of the vicious response she expected, he surprised her by chuckling and facing her once again "I won't tell if you don't" His eyes glinted with mischief as he placed a plate filled with cheese, crackers and cold cuts in front of her.

Elena grabbed a piece of Gouda and placed it between her lips "You've become quite the rebel, huh?"

He leaned on his elbows and took a bite of another piece of cheese she had grabbed for herself, his tongue peeking out to touch her skin "I like to think I've come to be my own man" He answered as he munched down, Elena felt herself blushing and she pulled away slightly.

She cleared her throat and tried not to blush further when she saw him smirking, instead she decided to change their conversation towards safer topics "Is Stefan coming?"

"No, I don't think so" He answered and Elena felt a thrill in knowing she and Damon would be sharing their trip alone "He has affairs to deal with here"

"Meaning?"

He tsked and reached to pinch her cheek playfully "It is not your place to know"

She huffed impatiently as he swatted his hand away "I thought you were all in about me learning everything about the family business"

"Not on all things Bonita" She rolled her eyes at him and he went to pinch her cheeks again "Stop rolling your eyes at me and instead tell me about that Donovan kid"

Elena felt the color draining from cheeks at the mention of Matt "Sorry?

"A little bird told me the guy you're dating is Matt Donovan" His mouth was twisted in a cruel smile and for one Elena wasn't sure she recognized the Damon in front of her "Isn't he the son of that liberal congressman that likes to show himself on TV?"

"I don't see how's that any of your business"

His eyes darkened as he leaned over her, crowding her space even further "Everything about you is my business Bonita"

Elena's chest heaved as he stared down at her, the intensity in his gaze, unlike anything she ever experienced before, he frightened and exhilarated her in equal measure "Yes, we are dating"

"But you couldn't care less about him" He stated.

"What makes you think that?"

"The bored look in your face"

She sneered "Don't be a jerk Damon"

He chuckled darkly, a sound Elena didn't enjoy at all "I am not, seriously tell me about him"

"Why don't you tell me about Rose?" She bit out and regretted it immediately when she saw the gleam in his eyes.

"She's an old acquaintance" He answered "We like to fuck sometimes" His blue eyes shone with mischief as he looked at her, Elena averted her eyes from him and felt her blood burning with embarrassment at the sound of his chuckle "What? Though you were old enough to hear bad words now"

Elena felt her eyes filling with tears without truly knowing why; it was like despite knowing he loved her more than anything, he always found ways to hurt her. She constantly kept feeling like an ignorant child whenever she was in contact with him, and she hated that feeling, hated feeling like less of what she was.

"You've been especially jerkish today," She told him and hated the way her words wobbled as she spoke.

He sighed and rounded the counter until he was in front of her "Sorry, I've been on edge since I returned" He said before cupping her face between his hands and pulling her towards him.

"Why?" She asked against his chest, his hands were now around her slender frame and rubbed her back up and down with gentle moves.

"That's for me to worry about" He answered and Elena sighed sadly in return.

"Sometimes I don't get you Damon"

His breathing stopped for a second before he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss against the crown of her head "Sometimes I don't either Bonita, I really don't" Hidden sadness was laced on his words and Elena wanted to ask him what he was sad about, wanted to lay in his embrace forever and force him to tell about the demons in his head but knew it would be futile, because not even with her Damon allowed himself to be truly himself.

"Now, how about you set the table and we have a fancy family dinner," He told her as he moved away from her and went back to the stove where the salmon was cooking "Then we can get you packing."

Elena frowned "Packing? When are we going?"

His smile widened "Why tomorrow morning darling" A genuine laugh left his lips at the way her eyes widened "Surprise" He raised his glass towards her as she stared at him dumbstruck.

When Elena Gilbert woke up that morning she never imagined that the storm that was Damon Salvatore would come to sweep her off her feet once again and that she would be too eager to be devastated by him.

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	5. All These Things That I've Done

**I'll keep this one short, thank you so much for supporting me still after so long and for liking my story as much as you do, I love you all so much! I really hope you like this chapter, I know I do, so please enjoy!**

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And when there's nowhere else to run  
Is there room for one more son  
These changes ain't changing me  
The cold-hearted boy I used to be

**-The Killers-**

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He was a vile man.

That was a fact Damon Salvatore no longer took an effort in refuting, he was who he was and there was nothing that could change it. That didn't mean he enjoyed who he was or that he regretted it either because being that man had allowed him to protect the people he loved.

But the nightmares were always there to haunt him: the voices asking for mercy, the lifeless eyes staring back at him, the stench of blood and death that filled his nostrils whenever he entered dreamland. They chased him, the shadows of the people who had perished at his hands, the countless lives he had taken throughout the years, the sins he would never be able to erase, they were all there waiting for him whenever he closed his eyes.

Except on the nights she slept next to him.

She had been a scared scrawny girl of six the first time she climbed into his bed, and from that night since she had shown him the peace nothing else was able to give him, she had chased his nightmares away with the sound of her laugh and her careless thoughts. Elena was a breath of fresh air, a balm for his tortured soul.

And yet that didn't stop him for hurting her. From showing her the cruelty of the world in order to make her strong, to break her just to put her back together himself, because that way he would become her whole world and the only thing she would need.

He was a sick fucker.

A bastard who enjoyed her pain and her happiness, who relished in being the center of her world and the one thing she needed the most. But his depravation had reached new heights ever since he returned and was able to hold her in his arms again when he felt her going lax in his arms and his nostrils filled with the scent of her perfume.

He had fucked Rose against the wall that night, while images of Elena moving against his body filled his mind, wanting nothing more than being buried inside the body of the woman he had loved like a sister for so long.

What had changed? In which moment Elena had transformed herself from the person he wanted to protect more than anyone in the world to the one he wanted to possess. Was that feeling inside him all that time? Brewing and growing inside him until he could no longer contain it?

He could barely hold himself now, as his driver took them through the colorful and warm streets of Cali, she was sound asleep with her head resting against his shoulder. He breathed in deeply the scent of her perfume and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, she snuggled into him and he closed his eyes in order to steel himself against her. To force back those dark thoughts that swirled in his mind and make himself see her as nothing but the sister he had grown up with.

As if somehow sensing the turmoil that swirled inside his head, Elena stirred and her eyes fluttered open. A sleepy smile covered her face as she snuggled into his body as if it was the most normal thing in the world, in a way, he guessed it was.

"Are we there yet?"

Damon threw a quick glance to the rows of trees that now surrounded them and knew the answer to her question in a heartbeat. It had been years since he last set foot in his grandfather's state in Cali, but the place was still carved in his memory, rooted so deep like the sound of his father's laughter and the scent of Elena's skin. Damon always had the sense that it was in that dangerous paradise where he truly could find peace, where he was absolutely happy.

"Look around" He whispered in Elena's ear.

The girl straightened up at the same time she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, her disheveled short hair covered part of her face as she looked around the massive trees rising before them.

"It's always so beautiful" She whispered in awe as the driver took a turn to the left and they found themselves in front of tall gold iron gates.

He took a deep breath as the driver exchanged quick words in Spanish with the intercom before the gates opened wide and they continued their journey forward. He felt his shoulders relaxing and the air easing softly into his lungs, the imposing property rose before them, as magical and beautiful as his childhood memories.

"How is it possible that it's been so long since I last came here… and to feel like no time went by at all" Elena told him as if she somehow could understand exactly what he was feeling, Damon sometimes wondered if perhaps they were part of the same being separated in different bodies. It sure felt like that.

He took her hand as the driver stopped in front of the house and said a few words in welcome "It was one of the things I've always loved about this place" He told her as he helped her out of the car "It's like time stood still"

His eyes drank in the ostentatious garden and palm trees, elevated before them, in the obnoxious fountain his grandfather insisted on keeping, the ever-present bustle of people around and magical scents coming from the kitchen. He observed the three-story brick wall mansion and was once again that little boy in his father's shoulders, always more at peace and relaxed under the Colombian sun than in the cold and wet castle-like home his father's family, owned in Napoli.

"So beautiful" Elena's murmurs brought her back to the present and he looked down to see her observing the place in the same way he had been doing. Her eyes misting as a thousand memories somersaulted her.

He threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his body "I thought you hated coming here?"

Elena rolled her eyes and jabbed him swiftly on the side "I hated being here without you"

"Cheeky little thing," He said with a laugh before pecking her lips gently. Such an innocent gesture, which suddenly had acquired a completely different meaning for him "Ven aqui mi amor, vamos a recordar" **(Come here love, it's time to reminisce) **

Elena rolled her eyes for a second time as she followed him inside, her hand clasped tightly on his "I love how you keep expecting me to understand what you say"

Before he had time to answer her, an old aged lady barreled towards them. The wrinkles around her eyes were more prominent, her once all dark hair was now tainted with white wisps, and her cheeks had more fat than they used to but despite all the changes she was the same as Damon remembered her.

"Mi nene" **(My baby)** The woman said as she threw her hands around him and pulled him down for a hug "Oh Damon, tanto tiempo sin verte aqui" **(Oh Damon, it's been so long since you last been here)**

"Vanesa" He whispered her name as he returned the hug, his eyes filling slightly with tears without him understanding why "Oh Dios como extrañaba tus abrazos" **(God, how I missed your hugs)**

The woman released him and patted his cheek lovingly "Solo haces que me sonroje" **(You like to make me blush)**

Elena cleared her throat awkwardly and jabbed Damon on the side "And yes, I am here too"

The round brown eyes of the woman moved towards her "Is this Miss Elena?" She asked before a wide smile spread on her soft face "My God girl, you've grown so much! Such a beautiful young lady" Vanesa's arms now moved towards Elena, who accepted her embrace excitedly.

Damon chuckled and threw her a pointed glance "Happy now?" He joked "You always the attention for yourself bonita **(Pretty Girl)"**

Elena laughed as the woman released her "What can I say?"

Vanesa clapped her hands excitedly in front of her "Oh I swear this was fated, I just finished making a whole tray of manjar blanco my dear" Damon watched as Elena's eyes lit up at the mention of her favorite Colombian dessert "Tell me you still love it?"

"I haven't eaten it since I last came here, but my mouth is just watering by talking about it"

"Wonderful!" The woman grabbed by the shoulders "Join me in the kitchen so I can fill that belly with it" Her eyes made a swipe of her and she gave her a disapproving glance "You look so thin"

Elena grinned and looked at Damon "Oh I missed coming here"

He returned her grin and nodded in direction of the kitchen "You go, I'll go see grandfather"

The air seemed to change around them at the mention of the old man, Elena's face softened and she reached to squeeze his hand "You sure? I can come with you"

Damon shook his head. He always tried to keep Elena as informed about their world as possible, but there were things, things that were too dark for her precious heart. Things he planned on discussing with his grandfather and he didn't want Elena anywhere near them.

His grandfather didn't have much time and it would be his turn to step up, and in order to achieve what it was needed for him to be who he was supposed to be he needed no distractions, he needed to be strong and he needed her as safe as possible.

"I'll catch up with you later," He told her and watched her follow Vanesa to the kitchen with a smile on her face. A smile he wanted to conserve in there forever because Damon Salvatore might be a vile man but Elena Gilbert would forever be his saving grace.

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His hand rested on the wooden balustrade as he climbed the stairs, his fingers tracing the old wood that existed even before was born. His eyes took on every small crease on the walls or a new stain on the tile floors, anything that showed him the changes the places had suffered in his absence.

He was almost sorry to realize the house hadn't been altered much since his last visit, that it remained impassive and unscathed despite the number of days he had been away. That the changes existed only in his heart, in his soul, in the heaviness that ate at him with every passing day.

The house remained untouched by the perils of time, but the same couldn't be said about the man who was now laying on the big canopied bed that occupied a quarter of the main bedroom. The man with bronzed skin and white hair, whose wrinkles took in the entirety of his face and whose blue eyes seemed weathered and sullen.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up" The voice that spoke sounded raspy and tired, long gone was the man who's resonating voice could command an entire room to silence "That uncle of yours finally got his affairs in order?"

Damon took a deep breath and tried to hide the emotion that surely was spread across his face. It seemed unbelievable to him that the man who was once larger than life could be reduced to a sick fragile old man.

"He did"

The old man's features hardened and for a second Damon saw the spark back in his eyes "Chin up Damon, I didn't raise you to be a pansy" He barked.

Damon chuckled and walked further into the room "You didn't raise me old man" His steps taking him to the big old leather chair placed against the window.

The old man clicked his tongue "Mock me all you want, we both know that snake of John Gilbert didn't do it and much less your own father" Disgust and shame dripped from his every word and suddenly Damon's memory took him back to the last summer he got to spend with his father, sensing the distress at his words the old man brought him back to the present with another bark "Chin up Damon, you're getting too soft"

Damon's eyes narrowed "Look who's talking"

"Arrogant boy" He spat out, but traces of a smile appeared on his face "Let's see when you're eighty and suffered three strokes, let's see how you feel after that"

"I guess the joke's on you then, isn't?"

His grandfather chuckled alongside him. One of the most feared men of Colombian mafia about to die down by old age and infected lungs, not by gunshot or torture like they once thought. A warrior, about to be taken away by nature itself.

"It might be" He answered, a flicker of emotion shining in his eyes "But if this is the way I'm going, then so be it" His eyes snapped closed for a moment before he opened them again, a harshness had clouded them in a span of seconds "But first, I need to know I'm leaving the right man in charge"

"You doubt of me?"

"I doubt of your heart"

Damon chuckled and leaned back on his chair, "I don't have one of those"

"You can fool everyone else but me boy" The man breathed deeply and settled more comfortably on his pillows "Your hands might be stained with more blood than anyone could ever imagine, but your heart isn't blackened yet, not completely"

Damon flinched back "I thought that was what you wanted" He bit out, irrational anger taking hold of his body "You're not precisely a saint"

"And I never claimed to be!" The old man growled out "I've done more damage than I could ever atone in one lifetime, but at least I love and protected my family"

Damon sucked in a breath, the meaning behind his grandfather's words wasn't lost on him. He knew what he was referring to, or more accurately who and the mere mention of that haunting memory was enough to make him shake with rage.

His nostrils flared as he tried to compose himself "My mother—she's… she's going to be an issue"

"Your mother is a fool!" The other man shouted "Can barely believe that woman came out of my lovely Diana" His upper lip curled in a snarl, his eyes narrowing when he saw the expression on his grandson's face "Don't look at me like that, you know I'm right"

Damon ignored his words and instead redirected the conversation to its original topic "Stefan's on it"

A wide smile spread across the old man's lips, transforming his entire face, "Of course he is, my boys, would never let me down"

Damon remained in silence for a couple of seconds, his eyes lost in the courtyard that spread itself behind the window "I won't let Elena get in the middle of this" He murmured after a while.

"I don't expect her to be" His grandfather answered "That girl has more steel in her than you think, she might end up leading the whole thing"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Damon said with a chuckle before he took a deep breath and moved his eyes back to the man in the bed "I missed you, grandpa"

"Yo tambien muchacho" **(Me too boy)** The man answered as his features softened slightly "Ahora dejate de pendejadas y endurezete, hay mucho trabajo por hacer"** (Now, enough with the nonsenses and get tough, there's a lot work to do) **

Damon smile widened, grateful to see the life coming back to his grandfather's features.

* * *

It didn't take long to find her. Despite the years and the changes she had suffered through the years, he still knew her like the back of his hand, so the minute he walked out of his grandfather's bedroom, he went in direction to the big backyard pool where he knew he would find her.

Elena was lounging in one of the golden iron recliners his grandfather fancied so much. He stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted her, she was wearing what could only be considerate as an indecent bikini, or at least that was he thought at the moment. The mint green polka dot fabric contrasted with her slightly bronzed skin in such an alluring way he couldn't help goosebumps breaking at the sight, the Brazilian cut and the pink lace on the edges made the ensemble even more irresistible and though he hated himself for it he couldn't help but feel himself grow at the picture she painted.

Her eyes were closed and her short hair caressed her cheeks in the most delicious of ways, he groaned low in his throat and chastised himself for being such a hot-blooded man before straightening up and marching towards her.

"I thought it would take longer for you to feel at home"

Elena's lips curved in a smile as she opened one to look at him "Are you kidding me? It's freezing cold in New York at the moment, of course, I'm going to enjoy this bit of sunshine"

He chuckled and sat down on the recliner next to hers "Cheeky"

Elena sighed deeply before opening both eyes and moving so she could rest on her side and stare at him "How is your grandad?"

"The man is a though oak, I wouldn't be worried about him"

He wondered if she could see the vulnerability he realized had slipped into his voice, lately, it seemed harder for him to hide what he was feeling. He felt about to explode, like something inside him was about to snap at any moment and everything would come loose.

She gave him a kind smile that answered his question "I hope we get to see him by dinner time" She said "It's been ages since I last saw him"

He nodded solemnly and mimicked her position on the recliner "It seems like a lifetime ago, isn't?"

Elena remained in silence for a couple of seconds before she reached out to him, her hand tracing the marred skin on his face with gentle touches "What's on your mind, Damon?"

"Sorry?"

"You look different," She said as he leaned into her touch, his eyes closed so she couldn't see what was hidden behind them "It always seems to me that you turn away for a moment and when you return to me you're not the same as you were"

"It's called life Elena"

She released a sigh that was filled with sadness "Not an ordinary one"

"No, no it isn't"

Her hand abandoned his face and sneaked down until it reached his hands, she laced their fingers together "I'm glad I came with you Damon"

He took their joined hands to his lips and placed a soft kiss in there "I'm glad too, Bonita. I've missed you"

She smiled at him "Not more than I"

A storm was brewing in the horizon and the aftermath was going to be catastrophic, Damon could only hope he was strong enough to come out a victor and to resist the urge for Elena that grew inside him with each passing minute.

* * *

**Review?**


	6. I was meant for you, and you for me

**Hello there beautiful people, I'm so thrilled you're enjoying this story so much. I know that Damon might not be the best of men in this one but I hope you can learn to love the good parts of him. Thanks so much for reading and your kind words, they really make my days better.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Oh little ghost, you see the pain_

_But together we can make something beautiful,_

_So take my hand and perfectly,_

_We fill the gaps, you and me make three,_

_I was meant for you, and you for me._

_._

_._

She tilted her head back and allowed the warm rays of the sun to caress the skin of her face. Her feet moved against the soft white sand and were kissed by the fresh, clear, blue water, the small bikini she wore did nothing to hide her figure but she did not feel self-aware, contrary she felt more comfortable in her own skin than she had in a while.

Damon had woken her up at three am that day with the crazy idea of driving all the way to _Rincon del Mar _so they could enjoy the day on the beach in what was one of his favorite places in Colombia. They arrived early in the morning and ate arepas made of white corn and filled with cheese while they drank coconut water and chatted animatedly over the sound of Calvin Harris coming out of the car's sound system.

"Won't your grandpa miss us?" She has asked among bites of her food, getting a shrug back in response and his word telling her the trip had been his grandpa's idea.

Of course, Elena couldn't complain, after weeks filled with stressful exams and the sometimes oppressing nature of New York City, there was no better balm for her soul than the seashore paradise Damon had brought her to.

_Rincon del Mar_ was a small fisherman village that hosted the kindest and most serviceable people of all Colombia, It had been Damon's father's favorite place in the country and the young boy had learned to love it with as much passion.

"It has always marveled me, how the water can be so blue," She whispered when she felt him standing behind her, the heat of his body, making her feel utterly aware of her own "The water in here has always reminded me of your eyes" A playful smile was written across her face as she turned around and stared into said eyes.

"You should be a poet Bonita" He answered with a smirk before lowering down his face to hers and nuzzling her nose. She breathed him in deeply and took her hand to the scarred part of his face, she liked to feel that part of his skin, to reassure herself there was a part of him that was vulnerable to her.

Couldn't he tell?

Didn't he realize the way her skin broke in goosebumps whenever he touched her in ways that were more fraternal than they both wanted to acknowledge? Couldn't he see the burning lust in her eyes as she stared at his bare chest? Couldn't he tell how much she longed to join their bodies on this beautiful beach and become one with him once and for all?

Couldn't he see her as other than the sister she really wasn't?

"Are you hungry yet?" He asked as he pulled his face away from hers and trained his eyes in the clear blue water, a vein throbbing along his jaw and both fists balled at his sides.

Elena was about to tell him she wasn't and that she wanted to enjoy the beach a little longer when her stomach grumbled and made him laugh in response, the tension easing out of him immediately.

"Come on, I'll feed you and then we can continue with the beach"

He grabbed her hand and took her to the spot where their things were at, he grabbed a T-shirt for himself and tossed her a beach wrap that matched her bikini before heading to a small restaurant at the edges of the beach, whose owners were old friends of the Quinteros, Damon's maternal family.

"What you'll be having this time?" Elena asked eagerly as she observed Damon over the rim of her menu.

"I think I'll start with the _Cazuela de Mariscos_," He said, referencing to a delicious soup made of seafood and coconut milk "And will continue with fried fish and coconut rice. What about you?"

Elena's mouth watered at Damon's selection, if there was one thing she loved most about Colombia other than the beautiful beaches was the food "I'll have _Bagre frito_ and I was thinking you should share your soup with me because I don't think you should be eating that much"

Damon threw his head back and laughed "Of course Bonita, I'll share anything you want with you" She smiled broadly at him and took her attention towards the waiter, who was now standing at their table and waiting for their order.

They sat in silence while they waited for the waiter to bring their drinks. Elena closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, a look of utter pace crossing her features as she listened to the sound of the seagulls and the buzz of people around her.

"It's like a small part of paradise" She whispered more to herself than to him. She wondered idly if the pace that invaded her at the moment was in fact caused by the place or by the man in front of her, who always managed to center her when she needed it the most.

He didn't answer her comment and no words were exchanged until the waiter arrived and placed a_ Lulada_ in front of each of them, a fresh beverage based on a Colombian fruit, which Elena dawned almost entirely in less than five minutes.

Damon sipped from his drink quietly while he looked at her with sparkling eyes, an amused expression clouding his face as he stared at her. "When we will be heading back?" She asked once she was able to put her glass down.

Damon placed his glass down on the table as well and leaned back in his chair, mimicking her posture, "I was thinking tomorrow after midday, so we can be there by noon"

"We'll be having dinner with your grandpa again?"

"Uhu" He answered and his eyes seemed to acquire a faraway look "I also have some things that need to be dealt with back in Cali, so I won't be able to spend the day with you on Sunday"

Elena bit her lip as she debated the proper way to answer, choosing not to stay with the doubt and ask what she really wanted "What kind of things?"

His posture stiffened, his face losing that easy going expression he had been sporting minutes ago "Work things"

Elena sighed sadly as she stuck her finger in her beverage and swirled the liquid around "You used to tell me all about your work things before"

"Perhaps now I think you're too innocent to know them"

Elena chuckled darkly, a sound that resembled the tone he used on occasion "Oh please Damon" Her eyes narrowed at him "Don't tell me you have remorse now?"

His eyes clouded over and Elena didn't have to think much to know which memory was playing in his mind, while always being her savior Damon had also been her executioner. In the world they moved in, people called him the reaper and none of them knew what that meant better than her.

Damon released a short laugh and shook his head in exasperation "You do know how to get under my skin Elena"

An insolent smile painted itself on her lips as she looked at him "It's a gift" She answered and was interrupted by the waiter arriving with their food. The mood seemed to relax again once their food was on the table, both had been really starving and dug into their food almost immediately.

"Is there anything special you want to do on Sunday?" He asked after a couple of minutes as he took a spoonful of the soup he had ordered and raised it to his lips, "I can have Vanessa and some of the guys go with you wherever you like"

Elena closed her eyes and moaned in delight at the taste of the soup, when her eyes opened she found him staring at her intently, masked lust shining in those ocean spheres. Something lit up inside her at the expression on his face and she had to fight the urge to smirk "Nope, I think I'll just enjoy the pool and catch up on my reading"

A witty retort was about to come out of his lips when a group of young people passed them by and placed a flyer on their table, Damon took the paper and raised an eyebrow as he read the content.

"Feel like going?" He asked as he handed the flyer to Elena.

Her face transformed into a gleeful expression as she read the colorful flyer that announced a party at the beach later that day "You know it's a party" She said "People dance there"

He rolled her eyes at her "I know what people do at parties"

Elena laughed, remembering how much Damon hated to dance and how bad he actually was at it "You'll dance with me then?"

He snatched the flyer out of her hands and placed it face down on the table before reaching for her and grabbing her hand, "Is there anything I wouldn't do for you, Len?"

Her heart filled with joy at the look on his face and for the first time wondered if her dreams could be more possible than she believed.

* * *

Elena fluffed the short waves her hair was in before grabbing the pair of gold hops that rested on top of the nightstand and putting them on. The sun was setting outside her windows and the palm trees rustled with the force of the wind, the smell of salt and the sound of the waves crashing reached her, reminding her she was a long way from Kansas.

She grabbed her favorite nude lipstick out of her makeup bag and went to the dresser to apply it. She was wearing a flower printed turquoise summer dress and had chosen to wear a pair of white sandals since she didn't want the pair of heels she had brought to get ruined in the sand.

A knock on the door interrupted her when she was applying her favorite perfume, a wide smile spreading across her face because she was absolutely sure who was behind that knock.

What did it say about her relationship with Matt that she was more excited about going to a party with her step-brother than she was about doing anything with him? What did it say about her that she chose to fly to Colombia, following him like a lost puppy instead of staying home and meeting her boyfriend's family?

Not wanting to dwell much on those thoughts, Elena took one last look at herself in the mirror and headed in direction of the door, eagerness filling her body and almost making tremble with excitement.

"My my miss Gilbert, you have certainly grown up" His tone was playful and his comment was meant to come out as a joke, but Elena could see the way his eyes had stranded on her cleavage for a little while and that made the place between her legs to awaken.

"You don't look so bad yourself Mr. Salvatore" She answered while she allowed her eyes to roam the length of him "Though I think I might be spotting a few gray hairs over here" She ghosted her fingers over his hair as she spoke, earning a deep belly laugh in response.

"Mock me all you want cara **(darling)**" He told her, a trace of vulnerability appearing on his face "We both know it's not the gray hairs what will keep the women away"

Elena couldn't be sure if he was being honest, but decided to joke about it, knowing it had been years since Damon had gotten over the scars on his face "Don't play the insecure man card, we both know women would flock to you even if you had the entire face covered in scars"

She expected for him to laugh in response, but instead, he only gave her a tight smile and offered his arm so they could start walking "You underestimate the impact that having a face like me can have"

A trace of something Elena hadn't seen in a such a long time crossed his face and she instantly regretted the light-hearted comment she had made earlier "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

He shook his head and bumped his shoulder playfully against hers "I was joking Elena"

She knew now that he hadn't been, but decided not to answer this time, to allow the subject to be dropped so it wouldn't end up spoiling their night.

Her arm was linked with his the entire walk to the beach, the sound of lively music and people's laugh filled their ears as they walked closer to the side of the beach that had cocktail tables scattered around.

Elena breathed in the saltiness of the air and raised her face towards the sky, "It's like another world, right?"

"I've always had the sense we New Yorkers are a bit uptight"

Elena laughed as she lowered her face and faced him "You are not New Yorker"

He gasped in fake outrage, taking a hand to his heart in a dramatic gesture "Am I not?"

Elena giggled "No, you are a bit of everything," She said as she stared deep into his clear yes "A big mixture of everyone"

The atmosphere seemed to shift around them. The temperature rose and the smell of him became intoxicating, his heavy hooded eyes looked down at her in a way they hadn't done before and she felt every part of her trembling under his scrutiny "That should make exotic, right?" He whispered as he moved his head closer to hers.

Elena was short of breath, her heart was beating a mile a minute inside her chest as she looked up at him "You are exotic" She told him before sliding her hand all the way down his arm until it reached his own hand, "Come dance" She told him as she pulled him towards the center of the beach, where people were gathered following the music rhythm.

The song playing had a slow and sensual beat, and their bodies found the way around their movements without an issue. His hands settled on her hips as she swayed to the beat and he tried to follow her lead.

A passing by waiter offered them sugary drinks with vodka and rum and they accepted them without hesitation, Elena moaned as the cold liquid slid down her throat.

"You see," Elena said as her eyes moved across the people around them "Women staring at you at every turn"

And they were. They openly gawked, the scars on his face which should have made him less appealing to the world seemed only to fascinate people, even more, they gave him a hard edge, an air of danger people was unable to resist.

Damon chuckled low in his throat, his head leaning down until he could whisper in her ear "Maybe they're looking at you"

Her eyebrow rose for a second before a wicked smile appeared on her face and she stared at him from underneath her lashes "I wouldn't mind"

His face darkened "My, my Elena Gilbert." One of his hands rose towards her face and he placed a strand of her hair behind her ear, the heat of his touch branding itself on her skin "What happened to the innocent little girl?"

She chuckled and started tracing her forefinger along his collarbone, their bodies still moving to the gentle beat of the music "She stayed behind with her dolls"

"They were pretty good dolls"

Mischief danced in her eyes "But I don't need them anymore" She said before downing the rest of her drink and placing it on a cocktail table behind her.

Damon followed her lead and then pulled her closer into his body, his breath caressing her skin, the smell of rum intoxicating "You've come a long way since the Caribe Coolers"

"I like stronger drinks now," She said "Though just as sweet" Her mouth searched his and their lips ghosted over each other for a brief second. It wasn't unusual, they were used to kissing each other since she played with dolls, but none of their previous touches ever held the sensuality or the yearning this one-touch did.

"Elena—"

Her palm pressed open against his chest, his straining bulge surging against her stomach as they continued moving their bodies to the music "Can't you feel it, Damon?" She whispered before she took her lips to his neck, her tongue peeking out to lick a patch of skin there "Can't you feel me?"

Her hands moved towards the waistband of his jeans and he seemed to snap out of it. Regret and shame clouded his eyes as he pulled away and looked down at her "We should go"

Elena suddenly felt very cold, her eyes darted to the people around them who were oblivious to her inner outburst and suddenly felt very alone. "Damon…"

He didn't answer her, but instead took her hand and started leading her back to their hotel, no words were exchanged during their walk back and Elena never felt more broken than she did at that moment. She hated herself for ruining what had been a magical moment and wished she could go back in time and do things differently.

"I'm sorry," She told him as she stood at the door of her room, her eyes unable to meet his.

He breathed in deeply and kissed her forehead "Go to sleep Bonita" He murmured before turning around and disappearing down the hall.

Elena went inside and collapsed against her closed door, tears streaming down and her face and her body sadder and more tired than ever before.

She didn't manage to sleep one bit that night, tossing and turning until the sun rose in the sky once again. She got up, took a shower and dressed herself comfortably for the drive back, dreading the minute she would have to face Damon again.

He didn't seem to pay attention to her, though, he loaded their bags into his car and checked them out without uttering a single word to her. Elena realized at that moment that having someone yelling at you was a hundred times better than having him ignoring you.

The music on the car's stereo filled the silence between them, but the air of discomfort could be cut down with a knife, she shifted nervously in the seat and twisted her hands on top of her lap "Are you mad at me?" She asked after a few minutes of debating whether she should say something or not.

His eyebrows rose in surprise and he gave her a quick glance "What? No, of course not," His face softened and he abandoned the gear shift in order to grab her hand "Something just came up, would you mind arriving home alone?"

Elena shook her head in denial and felt her heart sinking, she had ruined the entire trip with her actions and she hated herself for it. "No, of course not," She answered and released her hand from his grip, she had wanted to shout so many things to him, but remained quiet instead, like she had done so many times before.

* * *

Elena woke up with a gasp.

She had been dreaming of fire, a house on fire and the sound of her mother's voice.

She took a hand to her chest and tried to steady her beating heart, sweat marred her forehead and the ceiling fan in her bedroom didn't seem to be enough for the heat she was feeling. Colombia was beautiful, but she wasn't as used to the humidity and the heat as she would have liked.

The clock on the bedside table told her it was past three in the morning, she threw the covers off herself and stood up with the intention of going to the kitchen for a glass of fresh Jamaica Water.

Her bare feet padded the cold tile floor of the hallway and unable to resist her curiosity, she peeked briefly into Damon's room, to confirm her suspicion that he had yet to come home.

He had dropped her off at his grandpa's state earlier in the afternoon and had disappeared after that, letting her worry about his whereabouts, though it didn't take a genius to know where he was and what he was doing.

After a little trip to the kitchen, Elena sat down at the top of the stairs with her glass of the flavored water and waited for him, like she had done so many times in the past like she did that first night when she realized monsters lived among them too.

_She had been ten years old and he had been shy of fifteen, she had been unable to sleep that night because he hadn't been there to read her a story so she had sat down at the stairs of her home in New York and waited hours and hours until his return._

_His hair had been disheveled and his body bruised, the angry scar that marred his skin had stuck out more than ever before and his hands and clothes had been stained with what appeared to be fresh blood. _

"_Damon?" Elena had asked in a tiny voice before his face swirled towards her and he pinned her down with a stare._

"_What are you doing up Elena?" He nearly hissed, his eyes of a manic blue she hadn't ever seen before._

_Her lower lip trembled as she twisted her hands in front of her, "I wanted you to read me a story"_

"_Not now"_

_Elena frowned as she stood up, "What happened to your clothes?"_

"_Not now Elena!" Damon growled, "Go back to bed, and don't make me repeat myself!"_

_She didn't give him time to say anything else, she dashed to her room, her body trembling in fear because she had been sure that boy in front of her that night hadn't been her brother. _


	7. Who would ever want to be king?

**I am so excited you are loving this story so much, it's been quite an experiment to work with these characters because I still can't quite figure them out but hopefully you'll like the way they develop with time.**

**Thanks so much for reading and please enjoy!**

* * *

_It was a wicked and wild wind, blew down the doors to let me in._

_Shattered windows and the sound of drums,_

_People couldn't believe what I'd become._

_Revolutionaries wait, for my head on a silver plate._

_Just a puppet on a lonely string,_

_Oh who would ever want to be king?_

.

.

She was a pretty little thing.

Her face was perfectly symmetrical and her body was exquisite. She had a round and perky nose, her eyes were big and always so expressive… and her lips, well those were his favorite part of her.

He had every trace of her face committed to memory, and not only the physical aspect but the expressions as well. Over the years Elena had become an extension of who he was, sometimes he even believed he knew her better than he did himself. That's how he knew that something had changed with her in the last couple of days and it would make him stupid to say he didn't know the reason.

They were on the private plane back to the states and she had yet to say a word to him.

It wasn't that she was angry, because he couldn't see any trace of anger in her pretty little face, no, she was quiet, and on her, that was equally disturbing. Her earbuds were plucked in while her eyes drank in whatever she was reading on her Kindle, she was completely oblivious to his presence and he was relishing in the fact, savoring the opportunity of observing her without any interference.

Damon had allowed himself to get carried away on their day at the beach and he still couldn't shake the guilt out of him. For a minute he had forgotten who he was and what they were for each other, he had lost himself in the feel of her, in her laugh and the carefree nature that was part of her. His guard had been lowered and he had let himself forget, forget that she wasn't his to keep.

Thankfully, he had managed to get himself under control in the last moment, to snap back to reality and pull away before he did something he surely would regret later. He had been angry, frustrated and incredibly horny. He almost felt sorry for the poor soul whose face had to meet his fist and gut had to meet his knife in order for him to release all of his bottled emotions.

His grandfather had called and asked for a favor.

He had delivered.

There was a reason why they called him the reaper.

"Can we go home when we arrive?" The question asked in his direction startled him briefly and pulled him out of the trance he had been in. His eyes focused and he realized the earbuds were forgotten on her lap and her body was completely twisted in his direction.

He cleared his throat and with a quirked eyebrow, send a confused glance in her direction "I'm not sure I'm following"

Elena sighed and he noticed she was avoiding looking into his eyes, a fact he was finding to be quite irritating "Dad texted me, he wants us to stay at the house tonight because your mom needs some help with some event she's organizing" She murmured and the annoyance in her voice was hard to convey "I'll go to my apartment tomorrow"

Damon nodded "Okay, sure," He said "I'll have Trevor taking you"

He saw the way her body stiffened, a clear sign he had said something she didn't like. Her jaw clenched and her eyes became slightly wider "Trevor?" She asked with a touch of exasperation in her voice.

She was pissed off and it had nothing to do with his choice of driver.

Damon was the one to look away this time, the way she was looking at him made him feel somehow uncomfortable, so he pulled out his phone and focused on sending a text to his brother "I have to meet with Stefan to discuss some things"

Elena chuckled drily "And I'm not allowed to go" She stated more than asked and he had to bite back a smile at her tone.

His eyes moved to meet hers briefly "No, Bonita, you're not"

She rolled her eyes in a way that remind him of one of the many tantrums he had when she was a little girl and behaved like a petulant child "Sweet" She muttered before sitting up straight again.

Damon sighed "Elena—" His words were cut off by the sight of her, placing her earbuds back on and focusing on the Kindle in her lap once again. He shook his head and leaned back on his chair "Si que sos una princesa, corazón" **(You do are a princess, sweetheart) **He muttered before closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

Once they arrived back in the states, he watched her go with Trevor before taking his own car and heading in direction of the hip apartment his brother owned in downtown Manhattan. Being the only remaining male during the time Damon was away in Italy, Stefan was forced to remain living under the roof of John Gilbert but that didn't mean he didn't have his own place for the times he liked to get naughty as Damon often liked to point out.

The older brother stormed in as if he owned the place, Stefan had provided him with a key a long time ago and he liked to make use of the privilege his little brother had gifted him with. "What's up douche," He said as he stepped inside and found his brother sitting in one of the fancy beige couches that graced his living room, papers were scattered in the small coffee table placed in the center and a tumbler filled with what he guessed was bourbon dangled from his fingers.

Stefan nodded in acknowledgment "Nice to see you Damon" He muttered without taking his eyes away from the documents he had been studying.

Damon followed his line of sight and took a seat on the couch opposite him "What do you have for me?" He asked before Stefan handed him one of the manila folders he had laid on the table. Damon's blue gaze studied the documents for a couple of seconds before he muttered a curse and threw the folder back in the table "Those little rats"

He had the belief that people liked to get burned.

There was no doubt in the criminal world that operated in the US that John Gilbert held one of the most important active organizations, thanks to Damon and their connections with the Italian mafia and the Colombian and Mexican Cartels, their dominion over illegal trading was unlike any other.

For said reason, they were also the most brutal and feared out there.

And yet, people still believed it was a smart idea to steal from them.

Stefan grunted as he leaned back on the couch, one leg crossed casually over the other "They've taken millions Damon" He said, referring to a group of their operation men who had been smart enough to divert millions of dollars in guns and cocaine without Jonh Gilbert to notice.

Damon made a disgruntled noise as he stood up and went to his brother's makeshift bar to pour himself a glass of bourbon "I'll handle it" He mumbled, the blood lust already seething into his veins. If people started being brave enough as to defy them things could get real ugly, he wasn't going to allow that to happen.

Stefan chuckled "John said you would"

"Of course he did" Damon muttered with a hint of annoyance.

It seemed like all he did lately was clean John Gilbert's messes, the man had gotten sloppy, or perhaps too cocky and that was resulting in constant problems for him.

Stefan released a sigh, "But honestly, these little thieves are the lesser of our problems now"

Damon frowned as he went back to his seat, glass full of alcohol resting on his hand "Meaning?'"

Stefan's face darkened, a look Damon wasn't used to see often in his little brother's face "A psycho bitch of the FBI is behind us"

Damon nearly choked on his drink, his eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he stared at his brother "Excuse me?"

Stefan nodded, his sharp eyes staring right back at him "She's been to John's office twice now" He released a dark laugh, a scary little thing that made even Damon's blood run cold "She thinks she can have something to prove he's in bad dealings"

Damon took a hand to his temple and started massaging the vein that had started throbbing the minute his brother's words reached his ear "I want everything on her" He stated, "Name, address, family, hobbies, weird fetishes. Everything," He raised a finger in direction of his brother, a warning accompanied by the piercing glare of a murdered "And not a word to John"

"On it," Stefan said with a nod and his body seemed to finally relax. As if venting every issue to his big brother had somehow made the pressure ease inside him.

It wasn't unusual for the police to be sniffing behind their backs, they had to deal with them quite often, especially because both his mother and John liked to be public figures. But never once they had come across someone they couldn't buy or scare off, something in his brother's tone let him know this woman might not fit into any category, which would mean something more drastic had to be done.

Considering that with John's recent slackness, it was very likely he would make a mistake soon and she would be ready to pounce.

"Did you tell Grandpa, I love him and I'll be home visiting soon?" Stefan asked, worry lines disappearing from his face.

Damon rolled his eyes and gave his brother a mocking look "Of course I did after we got our nails and hair done"

"You're such ass"

"And you're such a pussy"

They both broke out in laughter and spend the rest of the evening making a reckoning of his trip to Colombia, of course, Damon left out a few details. He spent the afternoon holed up in downtown Manhattan with his brother, a part of him dreaded for the time when he would have to head back to the Gilbert's house and face Elena.

Damon Salvatore was the most feared man of the mafia and yet, there was a pair of brown doe eyes that could always make him tremble in fear.

* * *

It was long time past midnight when he came back to the house. The place was pitch dark and nothing could be heard except the howling wind that rustled the outside trees. Exhaustion had taken hold of him, his feet moved on auto-pilot as he climbed the stairs, he was so lost on himself that he didn't notice the girl sitting on top of the staircase until he was standing in front of her.

He was startled for a moment, but managed to compose himself in a matter of seconds "What the hell are you doing up?" He asked as he looked down at her.

She shrugged and raised her face towards him "I was waiting for you"

"To what end?"

She laughed sardonically before standing up, eyes ablaze as she looked at him "You can be such an ass sometimes" She muttered before turning around and heading in direction of her room.

Damon raked his hands through his hair in distress, the sight of her retreating back making something ache deep within his chest "No, no, wait!" He jogged the short distance and gripped her by the bicep to stop her from keep walking.

She spun around to face him, her eyes burned with fury and something akin to fear in them, "Did you kill someone?" She asked and once again managed to startle him that night.

His jaw clenched as he took that protective stance that tended to flare out when he was feeling threatened "I think that's a given"

"I mean in Colombia, when you left. Did you kill someone?"

Damon's face softened when he saw the underlying vulnerability that hid beneath her tough exterior. He had been away for too long now, he sometimes forgot that Elena wasn't him, that she still believed in the goodness of the world "You shouldn't ask questions if you really don't want to know the answer Bonita"

She nodded and he felt a pressure on his chest as he watched the way her lower lip trembled "Did you enjoy it?" She whispered "Or is it just duty?"

He almost wanted to lie to her. Her eyes were so hopeful, looking up at him as if his answer would somehow change the world for her and he never wanted anything more than being able to give her what she asked at that moment, but he didn't.

Because he was many things, but a liar wasn't one of them.

"Wrong question again Len" He chose to answer and saw the way her face fell at his words.

"Sometimes I fear you Damon" She confessed, the words seemed to rumble in the quietness of the house "I fear there's nothing in here" Her hand went to rest against his chest, right where his heart was beating.

The touch seemed to burn into his skin, the metaphor in her words twisted something deep in his gut "Maybe there isn't" He said at the same time he removed her hand from his chest "But if there's one person who should never be afraid of me, it's you Bonita" His hand moved to cup her cheek, his thumb caressing her cheekbone with a gentle touch "I could never hurt you"

She smiled sadly at him "I think you believe that" She answered as she pulled away from him "But I'm not sure if it's the truth" Elena rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek swiftly "Goodnight Damon"

She turned around once again and disappeared around the hallway, her touch lingering on his skin and her words nailed in his heart.

* * *

Damon could barely sleep that night even though the tiredness had overwhelmed him through the whole day. He tossed and turned but every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face, filled with fear and disappointment, just as it had been that first time she saw him after his first killing, the same one she had the first time he took her with him.

When he woke up the next morning he felt even more tired than the night before, his eyes were bloodshot and pronounced bags had formed under his eyes. He was up with the sun and downed two double espressos before leaving the house, he felt wired and energized by the time he reached Central Park.

It was a beautiful morning, the weather wasn't as cold as previous days and a couple of birds chirped from the trees as he walked through the path that would take him where he wanted.

A light trench coat warmed his body and he walked with the hands inside the pockets, a couple of girls gifted him with looks and flirty smiles and he managed to respond in return. He always wondered what was it about him that made women dismiss the scars on his face, was it the power? The confidence he always carried around? Or was just the innate nature people had, to be drawn to dark things?

He was debating that subject in his mind when he realized he had reached his destination. The chorus of laughter and hushed conversations filling his ears as he stood there, his gaze looking for the man he knew was expecting him.

The dark-haired stranger was sitting in a black iron bench; his eyes were lit with joy as he watched the families share moments of happiness with each other. Damon had always liked him and was always awed at how such a dangerous man could appear the kindest of them all, masks were a tricky thing, he realized.

He approached the bench with slow steps, his eyes roaming his surroundings in the most casual of ways before he took a seat next to the man.

The smile on the stranger's mouth widened as he leaned back "Well hello, I was starting to think you wouldn't come" The thick accent made the words roll out of his tongue with such elegance Damon felt slightly jealous of him.

"I am not known for breaking my vows"

He chuckled "No, you are known for many other things, parca **(reaper)**"

"Things you want"

The other man sighed and made a show of straightening the tie around his neck "I don't deny your skills are of great interest for me, but there is something I want even more"

The stranger's farce darkened briefly and there Damon saw his first glimpse into _'The Red Lion' _as people in their world called him, not for anything he was at the top of one of the most important criminal organizations in the world.

Damon nodded absently as he took his attention back to the civilian in front of them "And it shall be delivered"

The stranger shook his head, a spark of glee shone in his honeyed gaze as he spoke "I don't know what to think of you Damon" A hint of curiosity was present in his words "Everyone thinks so highly of you, and yet—here you are, biting the hand that fed you"

Damon rolled his eyes at the same time he leaned back on the bench, his legs stretched and carelessly crossed at the ankles "Don't get confused Benedict Cumberbatch" His tone was flippant and it made a slight smirk appear on the other man's lips "Nothing, I was given was given out of mercy. Mercy doesn't exist in this world"

"Indeed" The smile was gone out of the stranger's face in a blink "Which is why I know I can count on you, can't I not?"

"Have I failed you before?"

The stranger nodded and straightened up in his seat, his posture shifting until he was half facing him "You earned yourself a spot Damon" He said, an edge of darkness clouding his features "I'm vouching for you, so don't disappoint me"

"I wouldn't dream of it"

The stranger nodded once more before standing up and heading in the opposite direction Damon had come from. The blue-eyed man looked down at the spot the other man had vacated and saw a scrap of paper.

With the discretion years in the mob had shown him, he grabbed the offering and slipped into his jeans as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He remained in the park for a couple of minutes, trying to enjoy the sun or at least make people believe he was.

The board was set and the first piece had finally moved.

With a dark smile on his face, he stood up and went back in the direction he had come from, a flare in his step and a million thoughts swirling around in his head.


	8. Ugly Pretty

_You've always loved the strange birds_

_Now I want to fly into your world_

_I want to be heard_

_My wounded wing's still beating,_

_You've always loved the stranger inside_

_Me, ugly pretty_

.

.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was up in the sky but the air still held a bit of chilling cold, the sky was clear of any clouds and it shone with a beautiful blue color that made her think of the beautiful water of Colombian beaches. A couple of weeks had gone by since she made that trip, but the memory was still fresh in her mind.

They were sitting in a hip restaurant downtown that had tables scattered along the sidewalk so they could enjoy the fresh air, it was one of her favorite places in the city because of her delicious food, warm staff, and beautiful accommodations.

At the moment her mouth was watering as the waitress placed the Greek salad she had ordered in front of her. The bright colors of the tomatoes and peppers stared back at her as she grabbed her fork, the feta cheese seemed to melt in her mouth as she took her first bite, the slightly sweet taste of the Dijon mustard in the vinaigrette waking up each one of her senses.

She was about to open her full of food mouth and comment on how heavenly her salad was when she realized her companion wasn't paying attention to her at all. His bright eyes were lost in the phone in his hand and the small mischievous smile on his lips, let her know she had lost his attention a long while ago.

She swallowed and sipped from her lemonade quietly before speaking "Yes, of course, my salad is delicious, thank you for asking"

Stefan's confused eyes snapped to her immediately "Sorry?"

Elena rolled her eyes at her step-brother "You've been ignoring me for the last ten minutes" She threw a curious look in direction of the device Stefan had on his hand "What's on your phone that is so important?"

"Nothing" He said as he turned it off and placed it looking down on top of the table. Elena observed him as he grabbed the first bite of his burger while he kept glancing towards the device as if somehow it was going to come alive on its own.

Elena dug into her food once more before leaning back in her chair "Oh, don't lie to me Salvatore, I know that look" She said when she saw him glance into his phone again "Is it Valerie again?"

"No"

"But it is a girl?" She asked and the silence she got in response was more than enough. She nearly squealed in her chair, eyes bright and wide as she looked at him "Oh my God it totally is! Who is she? Because I'm totally sure it isn't Lexie"

He seemed to debate whether to answer her or no but in the end, he wasn't able to resist the eager look in her face. He released a defeated sigh and leaned back in his chair as well "If you must know, her name is Caroline"

Elena's eyes widened as if she were the Cheshire cat "Oh, I like her already!"

"You're crazy you know that?" Stefan said as he laughed under his breath before grabbing another bite of his food, this time without glancing at his phone.

Elena followed him and took a couple of bites of her food before putting her elbows over the table and leaning towards him "Tell me about her"

Once again Stefan seemed to debate telling her, but her curiosity or perhaps his need to vent to someone about his new girl won out in the end. "Well, she's in her final year in NYADA, loves to sing and dance" His eyes lit up in a way Elena hadn't seen before as he spoke about his girl "Broadway is her obsession, she's a ballet dancer, so she spends the majority of her time in leotards" He raised his eyebrows suggestively in a way that made him resemble Damon completely "Which is perfect"

"Pig" Elena laughed and he laughed alongside her.

Stefan had always been the brooding type where Damon was the passionate one, each of them seemed to complement the other perfectly and Elena loved both dearly. So much that she and Stefan had the tradition of having lunch in this same place once a week which was why they were together at the moment, but despite knowing him as much as she did and for so long, not once she had seen the kind of light in his eyes she was seeing now and somehow that made her feel full with hope.

"She's quite awesome"

"I can't tell" Elena smiled widely, "The way your face lit up just now"

Something seemed to change at her words, his expression became somber and he moved uncomfortably in his chair. She frowned and was about to ask what was the matter, but before she could open her mouth, he cleared his throat and decided to change the subject.

"So, what time should we pick you up tonight?" He asked, referring to the concert she and Damon were going to accompany him that night.

Elena smiled briskly, sensing he didn't want to go back to Caroline's topic "Nice way to deflect" She murmured under her breath before digging into her food once again.

In the end, she chose to meet them at Stefan's apartment instead, since it was where Damon was staying while he searched for one of his own. She knocked twice since it didn't have a ring bell and waited patiently but no one came to open the door.

Rolling her eyes at her own stupidity she opened her small purse and started fishing for the spare key Damon had gotten her a couple of days ago, she unlocked the door and was about to announce her presence when she heard arguing voices coming from Stefan's bedroom.

"What the fuck Stefan? You should have brought her here" Damon's voice hissed. Elena frowned as she stepped further into the apartment, careful as to not make her presence known.

"It was a quick trip"

"John could have seen her" The anger in Damon's voice made a shiver dance down her back, "Or she could have recognized the house"

Stefan released a humorless laugh "She lives in the clouds Damon, she doesn't know anything about her mother's work" A pause and then a deep sigh "And John wasn't in the house"

Elena got closer to the door and saw it was slightly open, she peered inside and saw Damon dressed in a pair of jeans and a tight black t-shirt standing by Stefan's window, the other man was leaning against his dresser, a defeated expression on his face.

A burst of hysterical laughter climbed through Elena's throat at the thought of these two criminal men unaware that someone was spying on them.

Damon shook his head and banged his hands against the window "You made a foolish risk" Stefan limited himself to stay silent and look down, Elena saw Damon turning around and displaying an arraying of different emotions before laughing sardonically "Oh fuck me, you actually like this girl"

Stefan swallowed deeply as a guilty expression crossed his face "She is good Damon, she doesn't deserve what I'm doing with her"

"Do I need to remind you it was your idea?" The older Salvatore asked as he went to stand in front of his brother "Or maybe that her mother will have us by the balls if she finds evidence against us"

"Using her daughter against her doesn't seem fair"

"Oh Stefan, what world do you think we live in?" The ice in Damon's tone made Elena felt sick to her stomach. Her brain had already processed what they were talking about and she felt herself about to throw up at any minute, "I'm sure you've done worse"

"But she is—"

She pushed open the door, interrupting whatever Stefan had been about to say. Both brothers turned to look at her, disbelief written across their faces.

"You two are trash" She bit out as she walked into the room.

"Elena…"

"What is your plan?" She asked Stefan "Kidnap her? Bind her to you to use her against her mother? Kill her?"

The younger Salvatore had the decency of looking ashamed, he walked towards her with regretful eyes "You don't understand—

"She's innocent!" Elena shrieked "She could be me for all we know"

Damon's face darkened "Shut up Elena"

"Don't you see what you're doing?" She said to Damon now, her eyes brimming with tears at the disappointment she was feeling "How fucked up this is!"

He shook his head as his face contorted in rage, in the dim light and with the non-scarred side of his face hiding in the shadows, he looked like a monster, someone to be feared "Wake up princess, this isn't a fairytale" He hissed as he moved towards her "Where do you think that pretty little money you use to buy your Burberry bag comes from?" He gestured to the article in her hands, the bite in his voice hurt her more than anything "Your hands have as much blood in them as ours"

She felt her lower lip wobbling but refused to cry in front of him so she stuck up her chin in his direction "Fuck you, Damon!" She snarled before turning around and heading for the door.

The minute she stepped onto the sidewalk, she released a deep breath, the night air chilling the sweat that had broken out in her back. She felt so impotent, wanted to shout to the heavens for the injustice of it all, wanted to cry her eyes out, to hit Damon until his skin was bleeding but more than anything she didn't want to be alone.

So she grabbed a cab and headed in direction of the one person who would make her forget the ugly world she lived in.

Matt opened the door after the third ring. His hair was messy and he was wearing only pajama pants, his eyes held traces of sleep and he rubbed them as he squinted down at her "Elena? Baby, what are you doing here?"

She smiled tightly before forcing herself into his home "I wanted to see you" She replied and the words felt like ash in her mouth.

He smiled sheepishly and grabbed her by the waist "Not that I'm not glad but I thought you had a familiar affair"

She nodded as she allowed his hands to roam over her body "I couldn't wait" She said before lunging herself at him and attaching their lips. His arms pressed her into his body immediately as she attacked his mouth like a starving woman.

She pushed him further into the room as her hands took mind of its own and moved across his naked torso, wanting him to make her feel warm, to destroy that ice that seemed to have settled in her stomach after her encounter with the Salvatores. She needed to feel safe, cherished and above all good.

He moaned as she bit into his bottom lip and pushed him into the couch "I really need you" She whispered wantonly before straddling him, the feel of his erection lighting up something inside her. Her mouth searched his once again; she grabbed him by the neck and murmured into his mouth "Pull on my hair" He seemed oblivious to her request, his hands caressing her skin softly "Matt, pull on my hair"

"I don't want to hurt you"

Elena huffed in annoyance before taking his lips again, only this time when her eyes closed it wasn't Matt she was seeing, it was Damon. His hands were the ones roaming over her body and her blue eyes peering down her as he touched her.

It was him who she wanted, not the boy in front of her.

However twisted that made her.

"Fuck, Matt I'm sorry" She pulled away from him and buried her face between her hands with a groan.

He pried her hands away from her face and smiled gently at her "It's okay, want to tell me what's wrong?"

Guilt, like she never felt before, rose up to her throat. She shook her head before standing up "Nothing's wrong, I just need to leave" She murmured before rushing to the door, her body colder than it was before.

She wandered the bustling streets for a while before deciding where she wanted to go, she guessed she could back to her own apartment, but the idea of being alone didn't appeal to her, going to her father's home wasn't what she wanted either and Bonnie already had enough on her plate as if to add her own issues.

No, she knew exactly where she wanted to go.

She stood in front of the white door for a couple of seconds, debating whether she should knock or just use the key, she chose the last one in the end.

The place was quiet and pitch dark as she walked inside, the sound of her light footsteps echoing through the room. She felt observed and it didn't take long for her to outline the shape of someone sitting on the couch by the window.

"You won't manage to pull that trick twice today" The low rumbling voice murmured.

"I wasn't expecting it" She answered before the lights went on and she saw Damon's snake-like glance staring at her "Where is Stefan?" She asked.

"John needed him back home"

"I hate you" She shouted at him as she threw her small purse across the room at him "And I hate him and I hate my father" All the pent up rage and despair, Matt had been unable to quench was bursting out of her, like seams breaking free finally.

"Good" He answered and the corners of his mouth twisted in a smirk as he looked down at the purse that had flown a little too close to his face but not too close as to reach him.

Elena felt her veins burning with rage at his cavalier attitude "Fuck you Damon"

He chuckled as he started walking towards her "You already said that"

She released a frustrated sigh "Don't you feel anything?" She shrieked as she lunged herself at him, her fist, finding his chest and hitting him repeatedly "Is everything dead in here?"

He grabbed her by the elbows and brought her face closer to his "I don't know Elena, is it?"

Her face contorted in rage before she burst out crying, the reaction startling Damon briefly "Why you do this to me?" She cried.

His expression softened but he made no move to release her "I am not doing anything to you"

She fought against his hold, her body thrashing in his arms as the sobs erupted from her mouth "Don't you see, all you do—you do it to me!" She released a despaired sound before burying her face in his chest "I hate you so much"

He pressed her closer to his chest, his hands stroking her back and hair gently "Hush"

He was her villain and her hero all at once. He had always been.

"I hate you, but I love you" She cried as she fisted his shirt at the back "I love you so much I can't breathe. Why? You're a monster"

"I know"

"But I love you" She cried before her face moved away from his chest and she was face to face with him. His deep blue eyes looked down at her with a mixture of hunger and protectiveness and somehow she found herself forgetting everything else but the need to be closer to him "God I love you" She murmured before her lips latched to his.

This was no platonic kiss. This was hunger and need, it was tongues dancing with each other and teeth clashing. It was bruising lips and a pulse between her legs, every stroke of his tongue awoke something primal inside her until she wanted nothing more than to merge with him than to join herself to the ugliness of his soul and get lost in that darkness.

She would have given him everything in that moment, every piece of her he wanted to possess, but he pulled away and pressed her against his chest once more, his lips finding her forehead and kissing her gently as she broke down in tears against his chest once again, "Come now my love" He said as he pulled her towards his room, never releasing her from his embrace "I'll take care of you"

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as he removed the shoes and jeans from her body, her blouse followed and was soon replaced by one of his longer shirts so it reached her mid-thigh "Don't you worry about anything tonight Bonita"

He placed her underneath his covers and climbed behind her, his face burrowing itself in her neck and his arms securing her to his chest by the waist.

"You've always taken care of me, always" She murmured in the darkened room.

"Of course" He answered "It's what I live for"

She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, she was tired, tired of it all. Damon was a consuming force and she had never realized how much she loved and loathed to have him near. It was torture existing with him, but existing without him was even worse.

He was her captor and her savior.

Her light and darkness.

He was hers and she was his.

However twisted that might be.


	9. This dark thing that sleeps in me

**Thank you all so much for reading! Please let me know what you're thinking of the story so far, hopefully now that I'll be dedicating myself solely to this story the updates won't take long. I apologize for the grammar mistakes you may find in here, as you know; English is not my native language. **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

_"I am terrified by this dark thing that sleeps in me"_

**Sylvia Plath**

**.**

**.**

The room was in complete darkness but his eyes had gotten used to it already, so it wasn't hard for him to take in the figure resting on the bed next to him. He was propped on his elbow and watched her chest move up and down with the force of her breathing.

His free hand moved towards her and lingered over her face for a couple of seconds, his fingers so close to brushing against her skin. She was so beautiful, and so innocent despite the world she had been born into, despite the awful things he had shown her and the million things she didn't even dare to imagine. She had always been the purest part of himself and every time he tarnished her with his sins, he felt his soul blackening a little bit more.

As the darkness around him seemed to swallow him whole, the face of the woman next to him started to transform until she was no longer the Elena he had gone to bed with, but the seven-year-old girl who had liked to play around with her golden-haired doll everywhere she went.

The morning everything changed for him had been a gloomy one. John Gilbert was hosting one of his usual soirees and the house had been crowded with people, he had been only twelve at the time, but with more knowledge about life than any kid his age. A couple of minutes had gone by before he realized Elena was no longer where he had left her, so without losing any more time he had set out to find her.

It wasn't hard since he knew how much she liked to sneak around in her father's office and play with her dolls next to the big fireplace that kept the place warm in the winter nights. Finding her wasn't the problem, the real issue was the scene he found when he opened the door to John's favorite room of the house.

He didn't remember the man's name, but he had seen him around John's soirees quite a lot lately, he was always smiling too much and praising his mother's looks whenever he got the chance, and now he was sitting on the floor next to sweet innocent Elena. She was absorbed in her game, the dolls moving in her hands as the stranger's hand grabbed her ankle and inched higher towards her thigh.

He was pretending to play with her, his voice was sweet and gentle as he imitated the voice of one of the dolls in Elena's hands, her lips had started curving in a smile before she felt his hand gripping her upper thigh with more force than before.

"Step away from her"

To this day, Damon still couldn't remember moving towards John's desk and pulling out the gun, he could only remember the look of pure shock on the man's face and the sound of Elena's feet running towards him.

"I'm scared Damon" She had whispered as she went to stand behind him, her tiny hands fisting his shirt with the force of her grip.

The strange man stood up then, a weary look in his eyes as he started moving towards them, "You could get hurt with that, kid"

Damon sneered, his arm raising the gun higher "You're the one who'll get hurt"

The man chuckled "Give me that, son" He said as he extended his hand towards them, but before he could get closer, Damon released the safe from the gun and rested his finger on the trigger. The man backed away, his hands raised in a surrender gesture "Woah, why don't you put that down and we can talk like grown-up people"

"Back away" Damon hissed again, Elena was silently crying by now, her face hiding against his back as she clung to him for dear life.

The sound of approaching footsteps made Damon take a glance towards the door where he saw Jon standing "What is happening here?" His step-father asked as he walked into the room.

The other man gave John a preoccupied look "Your kid has misinterpreted the situation"

Damon released a dark bitter laugh, startling both men in the room "I didn't misinterpret shit"

John's eyes bore down on him; there was something in them Damon hadn't seen before, a curiosity so perverse that chilled the blood in his veins. "Why don't you calm down Damon," He said softly as he moved to stand in front of the entrance.

Damon regarded him coolly, his head cocked to the side as he lowered the gun. All the burning fury of minutes earlier seemed to have cooled down, leaving a frosting bite that was ten times scarier "Don't you forget who I am John" He said slowly "Who my grandfather is, I am not a stupid boy"

The older man regarded him with something akin to admiration "No, you certainly aren't" He said "But I am sure you got it all wrong"

"I didn't get anything wrong" Damon answered as he started moving towards John, Elena following behind "You keep him and everyone else away from her" The gun in his hand went up once again, the barrel resting against John's neck "Or I'll put a bullet right between your eyes while you sleep"

The air seemed to have been sucked out of the room, a kid shouldn't have been speaking those words or holding that gun, but Damon was no normal kid and in his world, it was moments like those that changed everything.

John had stepped aside and allowed him to leave the room with Elena and the gun. Damon guessed that was the moment where the blonde man decided he was more useful as an ally and an asset that as an enemy.

Damon had won the battle that day, but he still wanted to win the war.

Elena stirred in her sleep and the darkness around him seemed to evaporate, her face morphed once again until she was the grown woman he had kissed the night before. Unable to stop himself, he allowed one of his fingers to trace the soft skin of her cheek, the memory had left a bitter taste in his mouth and he wanted nothing more than to reassure himself she was safe and sound next to him. That he had vanquished all the monsters that once wanted to hurt her and that he was never going to allow another to get close, it was all for her, everything he did was always for her.

She remembered nothing from that day, her mind seemed to have shut down and stored all of it away somewhere she couldn't reach it and Damon was grateful for it. He had shown her some awful things growing up, but there were things he wanted to keep her away from, horrors so great that still to this day made his blood run cold. He didn't want her to be naïve and weak, but he also didn't want her to know of such evil existing in the world.

He wanted to be her executioner and her savior.

She had always been the greatest contradiction in his life.

As if somehow sensing all the attention was on her, Elena's eyelids fluttered open, her eyes finding his immediately. "Hey" She whispered groggily as she wiped away the traces of sleep with her hands.

The right corner of his lips twitched as he stared down at her "Hey" He answered.

Elena groaned and proceeded to bury her face in the pillow "I feel so foolish" Her words were muffled and he couldn't help but be reminded of the spoiled girl she was growing up, always throwing tantrums for the minimal of things, most of the times in hopes of getting his attention.

His hands reached for her, his fingers caressing her hair and moving her head gently so she could face him instead of the pillow "Don't" He whispered.

Elena sighed and proceeded to sit down on the bed, her back against the headboard and her knees tucked in front of her "I am supposed to be a grown woman, I shouldn't seek your protection" She told him and he tried to ignore the stab of unwanted pain her words brought "I shouldn't be so naïve and to expect— I know the family I was born into"

Her eyes moved away from his as she whispered the words and he felt a wave of empathy hit him, unlike him and his brother Elena had never welcomed their violent lifestyle and yet there was nothing she could do to change her fate.

"I am sorry," He said as his fingers found her cheeks and touched her skin softly "Believe it or not, I wish I could keep all of this away from you—but I can't"

She seemed taken aback by his words. After his last night outburst, he couldn't blame her, he often felt like Elena was the only one who could bring out the side of him he tried so hard to bury.

Her hand went to rest above his until their fingers were laced together and their hands were lowered from her face "I know that" She whispered and something about her expression reminded him of that scared little girl that had hidden behind him when a bad man had tried to hurt her.

Feeling the weight of the memory pressing down on his chest, Damon brought her towards him, her lithe figure being engulfed by his arms, "I've missed this, I've missed you" He confessed as he buried his face in her hair and lowered them so they were resting once again on the bed.

If she was startled by his sudden display of affection she didn't show it, she snuggled into his body and allowed him to seek comfort in her embrace "I've missed you too Damon, so much"

* * *

Later that morning, they found themselves sitting in Stefan's living room while they shared takeout from Elena's favorite restaurant. She was wearing a pair of his boxer briefs and one of his t-shirts, her hair was wild and messy, too short to be put in a bun so it kept constantly falling over her forehead.

The domestic sight in front of him stirred something in Damon that he refused to acknowledge, a longing he had pushed away since the moment he was old enough to understand his place in the world.

"I was thinking we could have a Game of Thrones Marathon," He said among bites of French toast, his night had been filled with hellish memories and he wanted to prolong the feeling of peace he felt only in her presence.

Sometimes he hated her for evoking such feelings in him, for being that one thing that kept him from being a true monster.

Elena raised a finger in the air to indicate him to wait until she finished chewing her pancakes and then proceeded to wash it away with a sip of orange juice "I promised father I was going to be at the house tonight" She said "He's having some fancy dinner and wants me to entertain the guests" The annoyed roll of her eyes indicated him she wasn't keen to the idea, and neither was him.

"He doesn't need you," He told her "Mother is capable enough to keep everyone cheerful"

He was still feeling distressed over the memories of the night before, so the idea of Elena without him in that house once again chilled him to the bone. He wanted to keep her next to him, somewhere he could be certain she was safe and being cared for, despite the way she grew up, Elena was still too innocent for her own good and he feared that would be her downfall.

"But I did promise"

He chuckled and leaned to her to remove a smudge of strawberry jam in the corner of her mouth "But I know you'll love spending an entire day with Jon Snow more"

Elena's eyes moved to the finger that still rested on the corner of her lips, he saw the way her body heated up and goosebumps broke in her skin, he was aware of how wrong it was to use her attraction to him in order to make her stay but he was long past caring, he wanted her safe and nothing else mattered.

"He'll be angry" Elena answered breathlessly as he moved his fingers over her lower lip "Real angry"

Another chuckle escaped his lips at the same time he removed his hand from her face, not without tracing a path from her lips to the base of her throat "I'll handle John"

Elena frowned, pulling herself out of the spell he had wrapped her in "I don't want you to be at odds with each other"

Damon wanted to laugh at her words but controlled himself, Elena had no idea of how much at odds he was with her father, and she couldn't know, not yet. So instead of telling the truth, he chose another way out "We won't be, Len" He said "We haven't seen each other as much as I would like lately" He told her, evoking the emotive side that he knew lived in her "You used to want to be glued to me all the time, remember?"

She laughed under her breath, her cheeks coloring and giving her an air of innocence that made something inside Damon awaken "I still do" She answered "We can have your damn marathon"

His lips widened in a grin, his eyes shining with mischief at his triumph "I'll even let you choose the episodes"

Elena laughed once again "We both know that's not true"

Their attention returned to the food in front of them and no more words were exchanged for the next couple of minutes. He observed her as she ate, he was always observing her and wondered idly if she would be strong enough to waver the storm that was coming their way.

* * *

The night fell upon them too quickly for his liking, Damon was finding it hard to get used to the darkness and the biting cold of New York in the winter after spending so many years sharing his time between Colombia and Italy. The temperature had dropped considerably so Elena had changed the pair of boxer briefs for some sweats and she was currently snuggling against him as The Rains of Castamere was playing in the screen.

Elena leaned forward to grab a handful of popcorn from the bowl they had placed into the table "Ugh why do we have to watch this episode" She asked once more as she watched Robb Stark being murdered in the screen, at the same time she stuffed her face with the popcorn she had retrieved "I hate it" She muttered with a mouth full of food.

Damon looked at her with fake outrage "It's a bloody good episode"

Elena scrunched her nose "Bloody it is" She released a deep sigh before dropping her head against his shoulder "Watching Robb Stark die will always hurt my tender heart"

"Only because he's hot," He said with a roll of his eyes.

Elena gasped theatrically "How dare you?" The words were accompanied by a jab to his side; he laughed under his breath and kissed her forehead softly. They remained in silence for a couple of minutes, watching the tragic scene developing into the screen.

Once Catelyn's Stark throat was cut off and the screen faded to black, Elena moved her head slightly so she could stare at him from where she was resting "If we were born in that world, what we would be? Not the Starks that's for sure"

He released a chuckle at the same time he pinched her nose playfully "Do you even have to ask?" He said "We're the Lannister. Stefan is as ugly as Tyrion"

"I am deeply offended by that statement, Peter Dinklage is not ugly" Her face moved closer to his, until only a few inches separated them, her brown eyes looking up at him from underneath her lashes "And who would that make us, Cersei and Jamie?"

The air seemed to sizzle around them as her eyes moved towards his lips, want and desire were etched all over her face. Damon felt his pants getting tight and the blood in his veins starting to heat up, it would be so easy, to lean down and capture her lips in a kiss… but then he would only manage to damage her more than he already had.

He took a deep breath as he tried to control himself "Don't get any ideas in your head, Len"

Elena's expression fell, one of her hands reaching to him and touching the skin of his cheek tenderly "Sometimes I think I got you figured out and then I realize I might not know you at all"

The statement made something painful twist in his gut, his mouth opened to answer her when the door of the apartment burst open and his brother strolled in calmly "What are you two doing?" He asked as he took a seat in the other remaining couch.

Damon clenched his jaw, not even trying to conceal his annoyance at the interruption "We are tap-dancing little brother, in case you missed it" He answered briskly.

"Asshole" Stefan muttered as he leaned back on his seat, oblivious to his brother inner turmoil, his eyes moved to Elena, unable to hide the shame he was feeling inside.

"Don't look at me like that" The girl answered more brusquely than she intended but her expression softened when she saw him flinch at her words "You are forgiven" She told Stefan "Even though I still think what you are doing to that poor girl is disgusting"

A conflicted look crossed his brother's features "Elena, we are no—"

She raised a hand in the air signaling him to stop "Hush, I don't want to know anything" Elena told him "it's better this way, I am already guilty by omission, I don't want to get deeper into this"

"Smart girl" Damon murmured.

She rolled her eyes at him and punched him in the leg "Shut up Damon"

Stefan smiled awkwardly; Damon could see he wanted to move past the subject of the agent's daughter. Stefan could be the most ruthless of men, sometimes he even got worried by how much his brother seemed to enjoy the illicit side of their affairs, but something had sparkled in his eyes when he told him about the girl, something that made Damon fear for the first time in a long while.

As if sensing he was under the scrutiny of his brother, Stefan's hands reached towards the bowl on the table and grabbed a fistful of popcorn "So, what are we eating?" He asked with his mouth half-filled with food.

"We?" Damon leaned forward and grabbed the bowl of popcorn that rested on the coffee table "Go get your food brother" He said before grabbing a fistful of popcorn and throwing it at Stefan.

The other man laughed and threw the food right back at him, making Elena and himself laugh. It was strange for him, hearing the sound of his own pure unaltered laugh, not laced with disdain or snark, he had laughed twice already during the day and he couldn't even remember the last time he had laughed like that before.

The mere thought was depressing as fuck. Because at that moment, surrounded by the only true family he had known Damon wished, for the first time since he was a boy, that things could be different.


	10. Cacciatore

_Hey there! _

_I bet you didn't expect me to be back so soon, I really hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did. Please, if you do like it let me know what you think of it in a review, well and if you don't let me know what you think too. Thank you so much for reading, it really means the world to me._

* * *

_**Catch me if you can, working on my tan, Salvatore.  
Dying by the hand of a foreign man, happily  
Calling out my name in the summer rain, ciao amore**_

_._

_._

There were two things that would surely let Elena feeling relaxed and at peace; one of them involved soaking in her tub with a good book between her hands and the other was a busy morning jogging through Central Park.

Since Damon's return a couple of weeks ago Elena had found herself immersed in a wild wave of anxiety and recklessness she couldn't run from. Having her step-brother near had always been a source of unease and exhilaration, but Elena could feel it now more than ever. Her skin tingled with excitement whenever he was around, she could do nothing but think about him and on more than one occasion her mind had taken her back to that fateful night when she watched him fuck that girl against the wall.

Elena desired him and feared him at the same time.

There was a look in his eyes that showed up every once in a while, a coldness so raw and striking that was enough to send shivers down her spine, she knew from first hand that he could be the sweetest of men and the most ruthless as well. And that easiness with which he could be both terrified her more than anything, just like her easiness to love both sides of him did.

She had been unable to sleep the night before. She tossed and turned into her bed, remembering the feel of his arms around her and how sweet it had been to wake up in them. Her apartment felt cold and empty after spending the night in his and Stefan's, her fingers had itched with the need of texting him and asking if she could go over, but he hadn't contacted her all morning and she didn't want to be the first one to give in, not this time.

So here she was now, brow marred with sweat and chest heaving with exaltation, her tennis-clad feet hitting against the pavement with force as she tried to chase the thoughts of her step-brother away.

Elena was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost missed the young couple walking towards her, but the small dog on the leash the blonde woman had decided to step in front of her and forced her to stop.

As if part of some bad Hollywood movie, Elena halted and was face to face with her other step-brother and the woman he was deceiving.

The shocked look on Stefan's face would have made her laugh under different circumstances, his eyes widened in horror and his mouth opened to speak, but he was only able to articulate two words "Len… Hi"

Elena stood in front of them awkwardly "Hi"

The blonde woman, who Elena guessed was Caroline, kneeled to pick up the dog and extended her hand towards Elena once he was secure in her arms "Hi, I am Caroline"

Elena gave her an awkward smile and returned her greeting "Nice to meet you, I am Elena—"

"Oh, I know, Stefan has told me all about you" Caroline's blue eyes sparkled as her whole face seemed to light with excitement, Elena could tell she was a girl easy to love and the thought made something twist painfully in her gut at the knowledge of what her step-brothers were doing to her.

She glared at Stefan "He did, huh?"

"You go to NYU don't you?"

"Yes, a wonderful school," Elena said absently while she tried to find a nice way to step out of the conversation. The last thing she wanted was to make acquaintance with Caroline; she would never be able to live with that guilt. But the blonde girl looked so innocent and eager to please that Elena couldn't just brush her off "You're a dancer right?" She asked

Caroline beamed, clearly loving being the center of attention in the conversation "A performer, but yes, I dance" She looked at Stefan and then at Elena "We should hang out sometime"

The young man paled visibly "Sorry?"

"Yes, the three of us," The blonde said excitedly "I haven't met any of your friends and family, and you already know all of my friends, so I was thinking—"

Feeling uncomfortable with the conversation, Elena knew it was time for her to go "It would be lovely Caroline" She said placing a gentle hand on the other girl's arm and cutting her off of whatever she was about to say "But I gotta go now, you two settle it and let me know" She gave a small pet to the dog in the girl's arms and placed her headphones back in her ears "Bye" She said hastily as she resumed her jog.

Elena was not stupid and she wasn't as naïve as Damon sometimes liked to believe. She was well aware of her father's illicit dealings, she knew where the money they had grown up with came from, she knew how much damage Damon's hands could cause and she knew it was also futile to try to get away from it. She had tried to do it, had put as much distance between her and the family business as she could, but still, the shadow of that burden followed her wherever she went.

That didn't mean she didn't like to dream and wish for things to be different.

As her feet started hitting the pavement with more force than before, she tried to image a different reality for them, one where Damon reciprocated her feelings and Stefan was in love with a good girl. No targets on their backs or secrets, no blood on their hands and having to look over their shoulder every day.

The cold wind hit her in the face and Elena dreamed of another life.

Once home, she shrugged off her sweaty clothes while leaving Bonnie a message asking for some much-needed girl time. She wanted to go to some club and dance until her worries went away until Damon's face disappeared from her mind and she could no longer hear Caroline's chirpy voice.

She stood under the hot spray of the shower and hoped the water could wash away all the sins she carried around, sins she had been innocent to. As the water fell down the drain the image of a man's eyeless face appeared on her head, he was bound and gagged and blood poured out of the sockets where his eyes had once been.

Elena hadn't known which had been his crime but knew Damon had to execute the punishment. He had been seventeen, and her only thirteen, but he had dragged her into that warehouse anyway "This is what real life looks like Elena" He had whispered in her ear "Learn to fight back and you won't end up like him" She had thrown up after that and had spent the entire night crying in his arms, wrapped up in the safeness only he could provide.

The sound of her doorbell ringing snapped Elena out of the darkness of her memories. She finished her shower in a hurry and dressed as quickly as she could; all the while the doorbell kept its ringing.

She was surprised to find one of his step-brothers standing at the door, shame and worry overshadowing his entire expression. "I need to talk to someone," Stefan said as she widened the door for him to step inside.

"Okay"

Stefan's hands twisted in front of him nervously as he took a seat in Elena's living room "I know what we're doing is awful" He said after releasing a sigh and finally looking her straight in the eyes "In the great scheme of things—it might be the less awful thing we've done"

Elena's jaw clenched "That doesn't make it right"

He ran a hand over his face, weariness clouding his expression "No it doesn't" He said "But there's nothing that can be done"

Elena stared at him for a couple of seconds, never before she had seen such a distressed expression on his face. There was a fragility in his eyes that was new and the realization of the situation was enough to leave her breathless "You love her" She murmured.

Stefan moved uncomfortably in his seat "I wouldn't know—I don't think I've ever felt this way about someone" He closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them again the fragility was no longer there, only a deep sense of exhaustion "I don't want to hurt her but I know that's impossible now"

"You could let her go"

"I can't" He winced grimly "She's in the game now, Liz Forbes will never stop haunting us—I need to protect my family"

Elena's expression hardened, anger rising in her body without her knowing why "You mean Damon"

Stefan released a humorless laugh "It was my idea, you know" He said "Lure the daughter in" His words dripped with contempt "I know you think Damon is the worst monster there is out there, but I am a monster of my own" His eyes darkened for a moment and Elena could see the same intensity that shone in Damon's, the sight managed to send a chill down her spine "And there are worse monsters than us out there. You should remember that"

"You sound like your brother"

His lips curled in an empty smile, "We're cut from the same cloth"

Elena sighed as she leaned back on the couch; her hair was damp and had clung to the skin at her nape, making her feel colder than ever. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stared at Stefan "Why tell me all of this?"

He shrugged "I just need it to let it out" He told her "Damon could never understand, I don't think he has ever cared about someone other than us" Elena felt her gut twisting at Stefan's words and the implication behind them, there were many things about Damon she could put in question but never her love for her or Stefan, it was his one saving grace.

He stood abruptly "I made a mistake, I am aware of it" His conflicted eyes looked down at her and for some reason made her feel smaller than she was "My feelings should have never been involved, and now we're both going to pay for it"

Elena stood up as well, wariness filling her as she stood eye to eye with her brother "What are you going to do to her?" She asked.

"Me? I am not going to harm her in any way" He answered as he started walking towards the door "But I will protect her with my life and that—that will make hell break loose" Elena didn't like the tone of his voice or what was hidden between his words "And I am not talking about Damon this time"

A long-time after Stefan was gone, Elena still wasn't able to shake the feeling of unease his brother's parting words had left in her. She had the feeling she was standing at the edge of a cliff and the wind was going to knock her down any time.

* * *

The upbeat sound of the music danced through her whole body, colorful lights clouded her vision and the smell of sweat and alcohol, intoxicated her. Her hand was clasped tightly on her best friend's as they moved their bodies to the rhythm of one of their favorite songs.

After her somehow disappointing talk with Stefan, Elena had reaffirmed her belief in the need of a girl's night out, so she had dragged Bonnie and Rebekah to one of the hippest clubs of the moment and proceeded to dance and drink her worries away.

"I needed this" Elena said as Bonnie threw one of her arms around her.

The other girl nodded enthusiastically "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever" She shouted over the sound of the music, Elena was about to answer when she felt her phone vibrating in her hand, she watched the screen and cringed when Matt's name showed up, she let it go to voice mail and then proceeded to put her phone inside her small clutch and leaving it in the table.

Bonnie was looking at her with a raised brow "Dodging lover boy calls?"

Elena shrugged "Today is girl's night, right?"

The other girl glared at her friend "Why don't you break up with him Len?"

Elena huffed; she didn't feel in the mood to analyze all the reasons why she couldn't let Matt go even if the idea of pizza night with her girlfriends was more appealing to her than spending the night with him "It's complicated"

"Really?"

It seemed as if her friend wasn't willing to let it go, but luckily for Elena, Rebekah returned from the bar with a tray full of tequila shots "I brought more shots!" The girl announced as she placed the tray on the table, saving Elena from the excruciating pain of scrutinizing her relationship.

Shots were split and laughs were shared as they dawned each one "This is the best night ever!" Rebekah declared as the three girls got lost in the lights and music that surrounded them.

Sweat trickled down their backs as the minutes went by and the shots kept coming, Elena felt happy and full of energy, like none of the things that worried her earlier were important, she was weightless and invincible.

But then she saw him, if she was being honest with herself she felt him before seeing him.

He was dazzling. Power and mystery exuded from his every pore as he observed her from across the floor, she could feel the heat of his stare, the force of it awakening something primal inside her.

A song she loved came on and she closed her eyes as she threw her head back and laughed, when she opened them again he was no longer where she had seen him. She frowned for a second, thinking perhaps her mind had so much need of him it had managed to conjure him, but as she got carried away to the sensual beat of the music, she felt a pair of arms holding her from behind and dragging her towards a hard masculine body. The scent of cigar and mint filled her nostrils; Elena felt a tingle dancing all over her body as she threw her head back at the same time she ground her hips against the hardening member of the man behind her.

"I wasn't expecting you" She nearly shouted over the sound of the music, the deep chuckle he released in response made a blazing fire to spread between her legs.

His lips found her cheek and he placed a kiss before breathing her in, the overpowering smell of booze reached her, mixing itself with the sweat and sweet smell of his body "Someone's been drinking" She told him.

His mouth went to her ear, his lips grazing her skin as he spoke "Not as much as you"

She smirked as she felt his hands wandering upwards towards her chest "That might be true"

The music seemed to draw out everything around them, the other people disappeared and nothing else existed but their bodies as they moved to the low sensual tune. She could feel the pressure of his excitement digging into her back, proof that she wasn't the only one with baser needs threating to overwhelm her.

Elena felt in some kind of trance as if she watched everything from above and the woman whose blood was boiling with desire wasn't her. The need inside her was unlike anything she had ever felt, she wanted to be possessed by him, to possess him, to touch him and having him touch her in ways no one else had done before.

Every fiber in her body was burning as she turned around and finally locked eyes with her step-brother, his presence overwhelming her in ways she couldn't even explain "Come with me" She whispered when she moved her mouth until it rested over his ear.

His eyes closed in pure want as her hands made contact with his erection "Fuck Elena" He muttered under his breath at the same time his hands fisted her hair into his hands "Why you keep doing this to me?" The tortured look in his eyes wasn't something she had ever seen before, and she felt the strong need of wiping it off his face, so she leaned towards him and joined their lips in a kiss unlike any other they had shared before.

Elena was in the middle of a dream, it was hard to tell what was real and what wasn't. She had longed to feel his need for her during so long that a part of her refused to believe the moment was real. The minutes went by in a blur, one second they were kissing each other in the dance floor and the next they were locked together in a bathroom stall, her hands inside his jeans as his mouth feasted on the bare skin of her chest.

The straps of her dress had been lowered down so he could have access to her "Damon…" She moaned as she felt him flicking her nipple with his tongue. Though she was born the daughter of a criminal, Elena had been nothing but prim and proper her entire life, and yet where she was, not caring if someone outside the stall was hearing them, not caring about the indecency of the act she was performing or the fact it was the last thing she was supposed to be doing.

Nothing else existed at that moment but him and the way he was making her feel, the way his eyes clouded with desire and his body shivered from his want of her. For the first time in her entire life, Elena felt as if she had some kind of power over Damon, and the thought was exhilarating.

She pulled away from him and felt her insides churning at the sight of his disheveled hair and swollen mouth, he looked divine, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, the sight of him made her want more, always more.

Her fingers went to the waistband of his jeans once again, his eyes following her movements as she tugged down the material and released his erect member. "Elena, don't…" He murmured as he watched her kneeling in front of him, but the words were only muttered half-heartedly and Elena was too gone to care, she was in a haze, succumbing to the most basic of desires.

He threw his head back until it banged against the metallic structure of the stall when her lips circled the tip of his cock "God yes" He groaned, Elena felt a rush of desire between her legs at the want in his voice. Her tongue darted out and licked him from top to bottom, his legs quivered and his stomach contracted, Elena felt empowered. "God, Len…" His hands found her hair, his fingers wrapping around it as her head bobbed up and down.

Elena was lost in the taste of him, in the feel of empowerment it gave her to have him in her mouth, in having him at her mercy to do with him as she pleased. She no longer had to picture herself as the girl who he was fucking against the wall, because she was now the girl on her knees in front of him, satisfying a desire that had grown in her since she was old enough to notice boys.

She worked her tongue and mouth around him, felt him shake and watched his eyeballs roll back in their sockets; she felt the tug of his hand in her hair and heard his elaborated breathing. At that moment, he was hers and hers alone, he wasn't his mother's or her father's, he wasn't Rose's or his grandfather's, he was only hers, the way she wanted it to be forever.

And when he finally let go and released himself inside her mouth, Elena felt the whole world turning on in its axis, she had reduced the mighty Damon Salvatore to a quivering mess of limbs and swear words and the knowledge was enough to satisfy the desire that burned inside her.

But when his eyes found hers again and the want and need had been stripped off, she felt as if life had slapped her in the face, because the regret and shame that clouded his eyes was enough to tear her apart.

The flame inside her died away as their eyes connected as if cold water had been poured over her and left her feeling cold and shivering. A dark cloud of shame covered her as she looked down at her disheveled clothes and the redness in her knees.

"I need to leave," She said as she stood up and rearranged her clothes. She was no longer the powerful Elena who had managed to seduce Damon, she was once again the little girl with the silly crush on her step-brother "I'll see you tomorrow"

His hands gripped her by the elbow "Len, wait—" He started, but she managed to shrug him off and leave the stall before he could say more, he didn't need to utter the words, she had seen it all in his eyes, she had finally fucked everything up.


	11. All this time the monster has been me

"_The monsters were never  
under my bed.  
Because the monsters_

_ were inside my head.  
I fear no monsters,  
for no monsters I see.  
Because all this time  
the monster has been me."_

_**-Nikita Gill-**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

Damon Salvatore would never forget the first time he killed a man. He had been too young to truly understand death and probably more afraid than the man on the other side of the barrel of his gun, but he had done it because it was expected of him, because it was who he was born to be and because it was the only way he could protect the people he loved.

It couldn't be said that he enjoyed the killing, but over the years he had developed a taste for the violence, for how powerful it made him feel to have someone's life at his disposal, being the predator instead of the prey.

Damon never enjoyed feeling weak, which was why he put so much effort into becoming the one man everyone else feared. _La Parca_ **(The reaper)** they called him, capable of ending a man's life with a mere twist of his hand, a soul as rotten as the face he displayed.

He needed only to move his eyes to the left to see the extent of his perversion, where Jax Mackenzie's ankles were gripped by rusty old chains as he hung head down into the pool of the warehouse Damon had chosen to be the other man interrogation room. A nasty place with dirty tiles and darkness seething into every corner, the muddy water of the pool mixed with the blood that dripped from the several injuries made in the man's body. It was a horrid spectacle and yet he didn't even flinch at the sight presented before him.

Darkness was all he knew.

His clear blue eyes were fixed on his prisioner from where he sat at the other end of the pool, his gaze tracing each cut and piece of burnt flesh in the other man's body. Damon knew Jaxton couldn't be having a good time and yet not a single word had slipped his mouth.

He respected him for that.

"You're a true soldier Jaxton," He said as he abandoned the rusty chair he was occupying and walked towards the prisoner "I admire your steely resolve but is it worth it? to give it all up for a man like the one you serve?"

Jaxton was a man in his forties, built and tall with a pair of grey eyes that could make any man shiver in fear, even now as he lay helpless in Damon's power he was intimidating and unflinching, a true warrior with no other propose but to serve.

Damon sighed loudly when he didn't get any response from the other man "You're not very talkative, right? Maybe that's why he chose you" He muttered as he grabbed the steaming poker that was resting on a grill at the far end of the room "I envy men like you Jax, I do. Nothing to cling to, nothing to hold power over you… it must be a very easy existence" Damon's right hand rose and he pierced the man's torso with the burning poker, his movement so swift and sudden that the other man didn't even see it coming "But also a very lonely one"

The painful wails resounded on the otherwise quiet place as Damon's twisted the poker inside the other man, more blood dripped from his wound into the filthy pool beneath him "I just need one name Jax, just a word and we can end this" He said as he pulled away the poker, but instead of the answer he wanted, the other man started laughing. "Something funny?" Damon asked, jaw clenched hard as he watched the mirth dance around his prisoner's face despite the precarious situation he was in.

"You can try all you want kid, but you'll never be able to end it, " There were the first words the prisoner uttered since he woke up under Damon's power and they made the young man's stomach recoil with disgust "There will always be someone else willing to do the job, willing to do it all for the pleasure it brings"

Bile rose up in his throat as the images he longed so hard to forget resurfaced in his brain "You sick fuck" He muttered before piercing the skin of his torso with the steaming poker once again, this time he didn't remove it. The pitiful cries of his prisoner filled his ears as he went towards the steel mechanism of the chains that held Jaxton above water.

"You can do whatever you want to me Damon" The other man shouted "I will not cave!"

Damon had had more than enough with Jaxton Mackenzie, he was a soldier built with the exact purpose of serving his master, a task he did very well. Knowing he wasn't going to get anything out of the man, he could finally surrender to what he wanted to do since the moment he had him under his power.

"I guess you won't yield" He whispered to himself before lowering the lever and observe as the other man descended below water; his body shook, his legs kicked in the unconscious need to remain above water but the binds around him were too strong to release him.

As he watched the life ebb away from the man's body, Damon felt another scrap of his soul being ripped away from him, another part of himself he was never going to get back.

With a disgruntled groan, he turned around and headed for the small office located at the other end of the property, he was feeling the need to put as much distance as he could and the man he had just killed.

After asking Mason to dispose the body and clean the mess, he directed himself to Stefan's apartment, wanting a moment to unwind and forget about what he had just done. It didn't use to be this way, when he was young, he could follow orders and don't even stop for a second to think about the repercussions of what he was doing.

After he killed his first man everyone that came after became easier, until his soul was so tarnished that he started to become the monster everyone feared. But for the last couple of years the weariness of it had started wearing down on him, the nightmares became too frequent and the little voice in his head that told him he was nothing but a beast got harder to ignore.

He parked in front of his brother's condo as was about to step outside when he saw a pretty little blonde walking inside and knew he couldn't stay there.

With nowhere to go and feeling more alone than ever, he started the engine of his classic blue Camaro and headed away, without direction or purpose. He got himself a room in one of his favorite's hotels in the city and ordered an absurd amount of food to be delivered to his room.

As he munched down on a steak he wasn't even enjoying he busied himself with making some calls to secure himself a nice penthouse somewhere in the city, he had over welcomed his stay in his brother's apartment and it was time for him to get a place of his own since he had no intentions of going back to John's house.

As he hung up the phone with the real state people, he couldn't help his thoughts to wander towards Elena and the things they had done the night the before. He could feel himself getting hard at the memory of her on her knees while she sucked him off, it had been heaven and hell mixed up in all the best ways.

He wouldn't even try to justify his actions because he knew there was no reason good enough to explain why he desired her so much, to understand how the little girl he practically raised himself had such an effect on him. It disgusted him sometimes, the kind of thoughts he had about her, how often he pictured himself buried deep inside her and how badly he wanted to possess her completely, another proof of the abomination he was.

He still remembered the first time he truly allowed himself to have such thoughts about her. She had been barely seventeen and had snuck into his room after he arrived from one of his works, his blood was pumping inside his veins with the adrenaline of what he had just done and he had tossed and turned on the bed unable to sleep. Then he had felt her lithe body slipping underneath his sheets, her naked skin barely concealed underneath the pink cotton nightgown she had been wearing.

"I can't sleep" She had whispered into his ear before snuggling into his arms, her legs tangling with his and making the place between his legs awake with desire.

"You should get your own bed" He had said between gritted teeth, barely able to contain himself and not throwing her down beneath himself and robbing her of the virtue he knew she still possessed.

"I don't like my bed" She had answered before burying her face in his neck, he had nearly groaned and pressed her closer into his body, he knew she was able to feel his erection against her, but instead of running away as he intended, she had moved against him, the little minx. "I like yours better"

He had lain still underneath her, not trusting himself to move or to say another word until he heard the sound of her breathing evening out and knew she was fast asleep in his arms, he was unable to sleep that night. His body too aware of the girl in his bed, in how wrong it was to desire her so much, in how similar it made him to all the predators that were out there.

Years later and he still couldn't shake the deep sense of shame that washed over him that night, the same it washed over him when he saw her on the floor in front of him or when he saw her eyes brimming with tears before fleeing the bathroom.

He hurt her, he was aware of it. He had taken and taken from her once again without giving her nothing in return except regret, he was a scoundrel and he hated himself for it, but he didn't know how to be different, how not to hurt her.

He was no good man and he would never be, there was no use in pretending otherwise.

* * *

If there was something about John Gilbert that needed to be admired, it was his ability to play pretend. To the people who saw only the façade, he was nothing but a businessman who worked hard to keep his family afloat and whose wife ran several charities, always doing the best to help the people who needed it the most.

It made Damon sick to his stomach, to see him and his mother exchange greetings and kisses with people who were too innocent to know better.

It was for said people that they all made an effort to dress in their best clothes and pretend to be the perfect family. One of his mother's favorite charities was having a gala, and Isabella would never forgive her sons for not attending.

Damon hated those social outings, but he usually found himself having a decent enough time making fun of everyone next to Stefan, flirting seamlessly with innocent debutantes and drinking his brother underneath the table, however, tonight didn't seem to be one of those nights.

He would have appreciated the girls throwing flirty looks at him, the good quality alcohol and the mouth-watering food if he hadn't been in such a sour mood since his encounter with Elena. No words had been exchanged between them and that was killing him.

He had watched her arrive with her hand on the arm of the blonde son of the congressman, her short hair was styled in messy waves and her dress was silky silver and fitted her like a glove; she looked exquisite and her beauty was completely wasted on that simpleton.

Damon's hand itched her to touch her, to pull her to him and drag her into a dark corner where he could do with her as he pleased. The fact he couldn't surrender to his desires made an angry ball of fire to grow deep in his chest, dampening his mood for the entire evening.

It didn't help that he spotted his step-father speaking with Alberto Briceño, the lead man of the most important Venezuelan criminal network. Damon despised the man, few people in the world were as abhorrent as he was, John was one of them and the fact he knew exactly what they were talking about made everything worse.

Damon felt like a ticking bomb, he knew patience was essential if he wanted to succeed, but he had never been very good at being patient, he was a man of action, going in for a swift kill was more his thing. Which was why he knew he would never be a good boss, no matter if everyone else thought otherwise.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to hold his tongue if we approached the men, Damon decided to turn around and head for the gardens so he could release some of the pent up frustration he was carrying by drowning himself in a glass of bourbon.

However, when he reached the balcony, he found it was already occupied by no other than his brother, whose entire attention was focused on the phone on his hand, the big grin he was sporting let Damon know who was the person at the other side of the phone.

Somehow, that only managed to fuel his anger.

"You might wanna learn to control your poker face, brother," He said as he stepped out, Stefan's face whirled in his direction so fast it was surprising he didn't whiplash.

"Damon" He muttered as he turned off his phone and slipped it inside his pocket, "I wasn't expecting you tonight"

The older brother shrugged nonchalantly as he closed the glass door behind him "I had a change of heart"

Stefan's face sobered up "I'm guessing you already saw him," He said, gesturing towards the ballroom where the party was currently being held.

Damon's jaw clenched at his brother's words, the sight of John and his dear friend had left him more than a little angry and now it seemed he had every intention of getting it all out against his little brother. " I did, and I also saw the stupid grin on your face"

A shadow crossed Stefan's face making his expression harden "Now it's not the time" He bit out and tried to slip past Damon, but his brother's hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing so.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring her" Damon nearly hissed as he pushed Stefan so he ended up standing before him "With all the stupid decisions you are taking lately"

The younger brother's eyes flashed in anger "Ya Basta" **(Knock it off)** The words slipped out in Spanish, something only usually happened whenever he wasn't able to control his temper "Ya lo hablamos"** (We already had this discussion)**

Damon's nostrils flared "No we didn't. You talked and I pretended to listen" He threw a glance to his surroundings to make himself sure they were alone before leaning down and murmuring in his brother's face "El FBI me ha estado siguiendo" (**FBI has been following me)**

Stefan's face blanched "What?"

"Y tu aun no sabes, como mantener a raya a esa perra" **(And you still have no clue in how to keep the bitch away)**

Stefan released an anxious sigh while he turned around and headed to the balustrade of the balcony "Dame tiempo carajo" **(For fuck sake, just give me time) **He said as he ran his hands through his hair, leaving a disheveled trail behind.

Damon released a dark humorless laugh "Time is the only thing we don't have Stef" He took a few steps until he was once again crowding his younger's brothers personal space "I once thought you would be fit to become the next _boss_ but it seems I overestimated you. I might have to switch places with you, perhaps with a good fucking that girl will open her mouth instead of just her legs" His words were venomous and left a bitter taste in his mouth, yet he wasn't able to stop "Or maybe I should pay a visit to her mother, let her know how good her daughter will look with a bullet between her eyes"

Stefan's nostrils flared as he breathed deeply "Stop it"

Damon's lips twisted in a cruel smirk "Or perhaps we'll just hand her over to John's Venezuelan friends"

Stefan's face contorted in rage before he lunged himself at his brother "Hijo de puta" **(You son of a bitch) **He hissed before throwing the first punch straight to Damon's jaw.

The older brother felt the tangy taste of blood and widened his smile, he had been looking for a good fight and that was exactly what he had got. He allowed his brother one more free punch before he lunged back at him, his fist connecting with his nose violently.

Stefan was about to go to him again when the sound of the crystal doors of the balcony closing made them stop, they turned around to see a mad looking Elena staring down at them "If you trying to get caught, you'll succeed soon " She hissed as she took in their rumpled appearance, disdain etched into her face as her eyes moved to Damon "What is wrong with you?" She asked and it dawned on him that she had heard every single word he had said before his brother hit him "You make me sick" She glared at him one last time before turning around and disappearing behind the door.

"Fuck" Damon roared as he dropped his head against the wall, completely forgetting his brother's presence behind him.

He often wondered if killing wasn't the only talent he possessed, he sure as hell seemed to have a flare to fuck things up. He had started the day with clouds hovering over his head and was ending it with a freaking storm unleashed on him.


	12. Living hurts

In honor of TVD's ten year anniversary I bring you a new chapter, yay! I really hope you like where this story is heading, thanks so much for reading and reviewing, you are awesome and please forgive me for any typos.

Enjoy!

* * *

"You wanted to feel alive, right? It doesn't matter if you're monster or human. Living hurts"

**-Victoria Schwab-**

**.**

**.**

She placed the last item of clothing she would need for the 50's party she and Bonnie were attending in her small carry-on bag and fell against the plush comfortable bed of her former childhood bedroom. Nearly two years ago she left her home in order to go live by herself and she still hadn't been able to take all of her things to her new place, a part of her felt like in doing it so she would be saying goodbye to the girl she once was and to all the memories she had of her… the memories she had of him.

Elena groaned and buried her face in the clean-smelling pillow.

Her thoughts always came swirling back to him, no matter what she was doing or where she was, it seemed like Damon was the only thing that occupied her mind, and it had been that way ever since she could remember. Even this morning, when she had finally decided to gather up her courage and end things with Matt, Damon had been the one thought at the back of her mind.

Everything she did was somehow interlaced with him whether she acknowledged it or not. Which was why, her heart was in so much pain after not hearing from him in the last forty-eight hours, not since she walked out on him and Stefan at her step-mother's fundraiser.

Her mind still reeled whenever she thought about his careless words. Ever since he came back from Italy, Elena found herself wondering if the Damon she remembered for her teenage years still existed or if he had been flayed away with each bullet he shot.

Sometimes the hatred she felt for the people who turned him into who he was so bitter she could taste it on her tongue, she knew Damon was no victim and he would never claim to be but there was a part of her that couldn't help but seeing him that way. He hadn't chosen the life he leads or the job that had befallen in his hands, it was the most cursed family heirloom that could exist and the weight of all his sins.

When she was little, after that first night Damon came back home stained with blood, Elena liked to picture he could take her away like Peter Pan did Wendy. She and Stefan would follow him into the night and would inhabit a strange Island filled with wonders.

A pressure grew in her chest when she realized there was still a part of her that longed for that dream, for the chance to escape it all and become someone new. She had entertained the idea a couple of times over the years, but she knew she could never follow it through without Damon and that he was unable to walk away from the wretched life that had chosen them.

Feeling overwhelmed by the sadness that always followed her thoughts of him lately; she stood up from the bed and hastily finished arranging the things she would need to take back. Suddenly she didn't feel like staying any longer in the house that had seen so many darkness and pain through the years.

Elena grabbed her carry on and the plate where Martha, the cook, had placed the homemade cookies she always brought her whenever she visited. The house was eerie quiet, her step-mother was currently on a little vacation in Paris and Elena knew her father was locked in his study.

As she walked the halls towards the kitchen she was transported to her childhood years, when the house was always spookily quiet on most days, with nothing but Damon's and Stefan's childish sounds filling the emptiness, later on just Stefan's.

Elena didn't like the feeling that settled in her stomach at the silence that surrounded her; it made flashes of things she wanted to forget fight its way back into the surface.

She hurried her step as she headed in direction of the kitchen "Martha!" She called for the old woman as she entered the room, but found no one. She placed her carry on down and walked further into the room "Are you in there?" She asked once again and got no response, so she placed the plate on the counter and took hold of her carry on once again before heading to the hallway where his father's office was located.

John Gilbert was never the most devoted or loving of fathers after her mother died, Elena had dealt with his indifference and coldness for a long time and over the years things seemed to get only more strained between them, going full sour when she decided to go live by herself.

That didn't mean she didn't love him or held into the memory of the smiling man she remembered from before her mother died, but things were uncomfortable between them to the point she preferred to avoid him on most days, however, she couldn't leave the house without saying goodbye.

When she reached his office she noticed the door was ajar and that he was with someone, not wanting to interrupt she decided she would have to leave and excuse herself later for not saying goodbye.

She was about to leave when the man inside moved slightly and his face was revealed to her, his features were familiar but she couldn't really place him somewhere in her memory and yet a cold shiver ran down her back at the sight of him.

Elena retreated immediately, not liking the way staring at that man had made her feel. A big sense of anguish spread in her chest as she nearly flew away from her father's home, it was a feeling of unease so great she skipped her visit to the supermarket and flew straight home, locking all the doors the minute she arrived.

She felt stupid for her reaction and decided not to dwell too much in it as she prepared a hot bath and ordered some food to be delivered. The huge flat screen that rested on her living room was on with re-runs of Cupcake Wars in an attempt to feel somehow accompanied.

With the sound of the TV accompanying her and the smell of her essentials oils diffusing into the air, Elena stripped off her clothes and headed in direction of the bathroom. She piled her short hair in a messy half-bun on top of her head and was about to sink into the bubbly warm water when the doorbell rang.

She frowned as she reached for her peach-colored robe and wrapped herself in it, it was too soon for her food to be there already so she wondered mildly if perhaps it was Bonnie or Rebekah who had decided to show up unannounced

She stood up on her tiptoes to peer in the peephole and felt the air stuck in her throat at the sight that greeted her. She cleared her throat as she tightened the belt of her robe around her waist and dried her suddenly sweaty hands against the fabric.

With a deep breath, she opened the door and she found Damon standing in front of her. His hair was messy, dark stubble covered his pronounced jaw and his eyes looked weary; her stomach dropped at the sight of him but she refused to let him know how much it affected her to have him standing there.

She leaned her hip against the doorframe at the same time she crossed her arms over her chest and granted him a disdainful glance "What do you want?"

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, Elena thought briefly about how unusual it was to see him so out of his depth. "I wanted to talk," He said as his eyes moved behind her, a sign he wanted inside her apartment.

Elena cocked an eyebrow at him and didn't move an inch "I'm waiting"

He released a tired sigh "I'm sorry for the way I reacted after—"

"Spare me the details Damon" She snapped before turning around and allowing him to follow her inside her place, when she heard the sound of the door clicking behind her she turned to face him, eyes blazing with a fury she had buried inside her for so many years "You're not sorry, you never are. You do things that please without thinking in anyone else"

He seemed taken aback by her words, his hands finding his messy hair and tugging at the strands in a frustrated gesture "Elena that's not—" His words trailed off as his eyes softened "The last thing I want is to hurt you"

A surge of emotion rose up in her throat and she hated herself for the way her voice wobbled when she spoke "I'm afraid that's what you've done all your life, Damon. Don't you realize how much pain you put me through? How little you truly care for me, loving me and leaving me all the time like I was nothing but an afterthought"

He gifted her with another painful look before he started pacing back and forth in front of her "You couldn't be further from the truth Elena"

Elena shook her head in annoyance at his casual dismiss of her words "You didn't even show up for my graduation" Her lower lip quivered as the emotion flooded her as if she was still that seventeen-year-old girl waiting for him to show up "I was up in the stand giving my speech and all I wanted was to see your face in the crowd, but you weren't there"

A flicker of pain crossed his face as he stopped his pacing and went to stand in front of her "You know I couldn't—"

Elena bristled at his words, her feet taking her closer to him "All I know is that there's always something more important than me, even when—"The words got stuck in her mouth, she hated for him to see her in such a vulnerable state but she was also tired of always botting everything up "Even when you've always been the most important thing to me"

His eyes widened in outrage, they had always been the most expressive part of him. Whenever they watched a movie Elena always liked to steal away sneak peeks at him, to see how his eyes transformed in tune with the emotion he was feeling. That was the one part of himself he had always been unable to hide from her.

And right now they were shining with a mixture of pain and anger, a sight so raw it made something ache deep in her chest.

His hand went to cradle her face and against her better judgment she found herself swaying in the direction of his touch "Len, don't—please don't ever doubt my love for you"

Elena felt her eyes watering at the tenderness in his touch, in the words he said and the ones he didn't "Then why Damon? Why is it so easy for you just to push me away" She told him, baring herself to him once again "When I am dying here without you"

He shook his head before letting his forehead rest against hers "You wouldn't understand"

Elena pulled away from him with a violent move "Because you won't let me! You claim you want me to have my eyes open to the cruelty of the world and yet you're continuously closing them" She shouted at him, steely eyes cutting him down from where she stood "Which one is Damon? You want to protect me or you don't? You love me or you hate me?"

"I could never hate you," He told her as he once again moved to be closer to her.

"Then how could you throw away my feelings as if they mean nothing!" She yelled at him "How can you pretend you don't feel this thing between us"

Elena had been miserable ever since what happened between them in the bathroom of that night club. She couldn't stop feeling like a freak, ashamed of her actions and the way he so carelessly cast her away, she had obsessively checked her phone hoping he would call her but he hadn't, he had chosen to forget about what had happened as if it had meant nothing to him.

She had once again been nothing but an afterthought to him, the annoying little sister he couldn't shake off no matter what. Elena was so sick of being her, the girl who followed him everywhere without getting anything in return.

Damon's hands went to her shoulders and he pulled her towards him "Elena don't—please don't"

Weakened by his touch, Elena buried her face in his chest, basking in the comfort he provided for her, no matter what happened between them his arms were always the place she felt safer "Why not? Because you think you don't deserve it?"

"I know I don't" He whispered as he buried his face in her hair, his hands stroking her back with gentle soothing hands.

"Please Damon, don't put me on a pedestal"

He pulled away from her slightly, his fingers dancing over her face and settling on her chin "But you are! You are so far above from me cariño mio, siempre lo has estado"

Elena stared up at him, at those blue eyes that hid nothing from her and felt an enormous sense of sadness wash over her "Sometimes I am afraid of you" She confessed into the quietness of the night.

His thumb ghosted over her bottom lip "You should"

Her eyes watered once again as her hands went to rest on the scarred side of his face, the one up to this day still made many people flinch "I often fear the day will come when I can no longer recognize the man behind the blue eyes"

His hand went to rest above hers, his touch pressing her fingers with more force over his scars as he leaned down towards her "Take a good look at him, Len, this monster is who I am"

"I don't believe that" She said vehemently, wanting to cling to whatever hope could be offered to her that he was not the man everyone else ought him to be "I know the you I know is still there, the one who thought me how to ride a bike and who held my hand when our parents got married, I know he's still somewhere in there"

A flicker pain shone in his eyes but it was gone as swiftly as it came "No, Len" He said as he released her and pulled away from her touch "The man before you is nothing but your father's executioner and the man who showed you what it takes to kill a man" The mask fell into place once again, and the vulnerability that had been so clear minutes earlier disappeared completely from his face "This monster is who I am, and you'll do good in steering clear from him"

With that, he turned around and disappeared into the night, parting with nothing but the loud bang of the door as it closed.

Elena collapsed into the floor with a startling shriek, she went to her fridge and pulled out the bottle of vodka she kept there all the time, she removed the lid and took the bottle to her lips. As the cold liquid ran down her throat she cursed him a million times over for showing up and ruining her life, why bother to show up if he was only going to leave her more upset than before.

She was sick of him, sick of it all. She hated him and she loved him, she wanted to make him suffer and to please him, she wanted anything from him he could give. She was pathetic and sometimes she felt disgusted with herself for wanting him so badly but she couldn't stop.

Stop loving him was as impossible as stop breathing, he had been her anchor for so long, the one constant in her life and she refused to let him go, she wanted him in her life no matter how much it hurt her to do it so.

She would never be rid of him and she didn't want to.


	13. The closest to heaven that I'll ever be

_**Another chapter before the month ends, yay! I really hope you enjoy this one because I certainly did writing it, thank you all so much for reading and once again please forgive for any typos.**_

_**Love you all!**_

* * *

"_And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'cause I know that you feel me somehow.  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't wanna go home right now  
And all I can taste is this moment. And all I can breathe is your life.  
When sooner or later it's over, I just don't wanna miss you tonight"  
_

_**-Iris-**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

The Colombian sun decided not to shine that day, clouds covered the sky and the humidity clung to his skin making the black expensive suit he was wearing feel uncomfortable. He was sitting in the first row, his eyes trained in the ornamented ebony casket in front of which the priest was murmuring words in soft Spanish.

He could hear his mother's sniffles from next to him and the mere sound was enough to make his stomach recoil, his mother's hypocrisy was something he didn't have much tolerance for this days, and especially not on a day like today.

His fists clenched on top of his knees as he listened to the priest speaking about the bravery and strength the man now resting had possessed in life, as the words repeated themselves in his mind he couldn't help but let his eyes move to the elegant portrait that had been placed next to the casket.

The picture had been taken months before his health started deteriorating; in it, the man looked almost regal, he wore a dark dress shirt and had his white hair styled back, dark blue eyes creating a perfect contrast with the light bronze of his skin.

Dark blue eyes that seemed to stare back at him even at this very moment _"_**Se valiente carajo, siempre valiente" (Be brave damn it, always brave) **He could hear the soft but hard whisper as if the man was standing next to him. The same voice that never stopped speaking to him, and which took him back to that fateful night many years ago.

_What he remembered the most about that night is the loudening rumble of the thunders among the eerie quietness of the house. His favorite toy, a red plastic car, was clutched tightly in his hand as he walked the wide dark corridors of his grandfather's house. The occasional lightning swallowed the darkness from time to time and made him flinch in fear. _

_The sound of his steps was obstreperous to his ears, a weird feeling settled in the pit of his stomach with each one he took towards his father's bedroom. Damon couldn't begin to explain the fear and anxiety that had taken hold of him in that stormy night, the only other time he had felt an emotion so strong was seconds before the tall man pulled the trigger that blew up the side of his face. _

_The small boy felt his body getting colder as he reached the dark wood door to his father's room, his stomach swarmed with unwanted bugs and his clammy hands gripped with more force the red toy in his hands. _

"_Daddy?" He called, the voice was small and full fear. His knuckles rapped on the wood without getting any response "Are you here?" He asked and once again got nothing back in response._

_He breathed in deeply, his cheeks filling with air before he released it and pushed open the door of the room "__**Coraggioso Damon, sei sempre coraggioso**__" (You need to be brave Damon, always brave) He could hear the voice of his father in his head as he stepped into the room._

_His legs trembled as he stumbled inside, a scream building up in his throat at the sight he found when his eyes met the window "__**Coraggioso Damon" **__His father had said but he hadn't been brave at all. _

_Giuseppe Salvatore's body hung from the ceiling, a rope around his neck and his favorite black suit gracing his body. His skin was purple and his hands were cold, a look of horror was forever etched into his face. _

_The scream never left the boy's lips; instead, Damon sat down by the body and trained his eyes on the black Italian leather shoes he had polished for him the day before. He didn't know how long he had stayed there; he only remembered that the tears were dry on his face by the time his grandfather found him._

"_Do not be weak Damon" He can still hear the voice say "Unless you want to be him" _

The sound of people moving to stand up brought him back from the dark memory and it was then when he realized the casket was finally being lowered down into the ground.

Emotion ran up his throat at the sight, he could feel the tears wanting to gather in his eyes but he fought them, the first rule his grandfather ever showed him was to never let anyone see your vulnerable side. He was not going to dishonor the man's memory by going against it on the day of his funeral.

Damon could feel Elena on the other side of him, he knew her hand was itching to touch him but that she wouldn't give in so easily, not this time; he had finally fucked them over beyond repair.

A month had gone by since he stormed out of her apartment and they hadn't spoken one word ever since, now he wanted nothing more than to feel her comfort, there was a hole in his chest widening open and making him feel more alone than ever and he didn't know if he was going to be able to endure it without her.

The graveyard was filled with strangers, people that claimed to have love for the old Colombian drug lord but who wanted nothing more than his head on a spike. The King had fallen and Damon had no doubt crows are ready to prowl over the burning flesh of the old man, the chess pieces had been set on the move and it was becoming exhausting to even think about the upcoming war waiting at his doorstep.

His grandfather knew of it, he had whispered his words and desires into his ear the last time he visited and the weight of it all was smothering him. He promised and for the first time in his life he wished nothing more than to break his vow, he doesn't want the crown, never has and yet he will have to fight for it if he wants to stay alive.

His eyes landed on John Gilbert's solemn face, Damon could see the madness shining below the façade he's been trying to keep, he saw the wheels turning into his head and the exhilaration the idea of boundless power is giving him. Bile rose in his throat at the flicker of smugness that washes over his face, Damon wanted nothing more than pummel him into the ground and end him once and for all but he knew he couldn't, he is playing the long game and patience has to be his best friend.

"It's time to go, my boy" The overly sweet tone in which his mother spoke to him as she grabbed his hand almost made him recoil in disgust, but he didn't. Instead, he pulled her into his embrace and walked with her towards the sleek black car waiting for them, the floral scent of her perfume is comforting somehow and he tries not to dwell too much about that fact.

John didn't speak to him on the ride back and Damon was grateful for it, he guessed the man knows better than to push his buttons in a moment like this. Their relationship was never a cordial one, John was the owner and Damon nothing but the loyal pet trained to kill but ever since the Salvatore man refused to stay in Italy and decided to come back, their relationship has turned hostile, as if the other man could somehow smell the rebellion that was brewing inside him.

Damon doesn't even stay to greet the guests, he has never understood why people are forced to entertain after burying their loved ones, he didn't want to be surrounded by a million people who only care about what piece of the pie they can get, he wanted to be on his own, with nothing but his darkness to keep him company.

The state his grandfather owned and that had come to pass to him and Stefan's hands extends on over 50 acres of land, so it was not hard for him to find a place where he could be on his own.

He stepped outside the main house and headed into the stable where he grabbed his favorite horse, a black mare named Valkiria and galloped towards a small cottage his grandfather had built at the edges of the property. It was his grandmother's favorite spot in the whole estate and the place where Damon spent many happy moments as a child, sitting by the fire while she told him old legends about her small hometown in Texas, where her grandfather had taken her away from.

The minute he stepped inside, a milliard of old memories and emotions he refused to acknowledge assaulted him, and he found himself unable to hold it all together. He allowed the tears to finally leave his eyes as he headed to the small makeshift bar by the window and grabbed a bottle of the old expensive scotch his grandfather loved to drink.

He felt the liquid burning down his throat and relished in the scorching sensation it left behind. He wanted to be numb, to not feel this overwhelming need to escape that was growing in his chest with every passing minute; he no longer wanted to be Damon Salvatore the promised child of the crime world.

He was only twenty-seven and people already pissed in their pants at the mention of his name. _Damon Salvatore "La Parca"_ the prodigy of Colombian cartels, the rising boss of the Cosa Nostra and the hitman of the American mafia. He was a legend of the crime world and more often than not he felt like a fraud.

An uncontrollable rage started crawling up his spine and made him throw the bottle of scotch across the wall, the glass shattering and the amber liquid pooling on the floor by the window "I hate you!" He shouted at the same time he slammed his fists against the nearer wall, the pain was sharp as it traveled through his hand but instead of making him want to stop, it only ignited the fire inside him.

He went at it repeatedly until the blood coated his skin completely and only stopped when the pain had already numbed his bones "Corraggioso, sempre corragioso" He muttered under his breath while he moved back towards the bar and grabbed another bottle, tequila this time.

He had taken a couple of swigs of it when he heard footsteps approaching, something twisting in his gut at the sound of the light feet approaching his door, he didn't even need to look at the door to know who the person who had opened it was, only had to wait a couple of seconds until the soft sound of her words reached his ears "What are you doing?" She asked and he twirled around to see her frightened expression as her eyes took in the disaster he had made of his room.

He took the bottle of tequila towards his lips as he grumbled "Leave me alone Elena" He took a couple of long swigs before throwing the bottle against the wall once again, shattered glass jumping into him and landing in his clothes.

Elena released an anxious gasp as she moved towards him "You're gonna hurt yourself!" She scolded him before she removed his shirt and used it to wipe the thin frost of glass that had fallen in his jeans.

He released a humorless laugh but allowed her to clean him up and move him into the bed "There's nothing I can do to myself anymore, I no longer can feel pain" He said and for some reason the words made him feel sad.

It seemed that the emotion had taken a like to him because lately, it was all he could feel.

Elena kneeled in front of him "Damon, you're scaring me" Her hands found his and she used a discarded towel that had been lying on the bed to wipe some of the blood that had crusted into his knuckles.

"I hate him" He murmured absently, his eyes lost somewhere in the night sky that extended outside his window "I love him and I hate him at the same time. Because I promised"

"Promised what?" Elena frowned as her eyes moved away from his wounds towards his face "Damon, what are you talking about?"

His eyes filled with tears and he was unable to control them any longer "I promised I would become him" He whispered "But I can't, I don't want to"

She shuddered and gripped his hands "Oh Damon…"

He wanted to stop, wanted to keep his mouth shut and never again allow himself to be vulnerable, but he couldn't. Something had broken inside him and he didn't know how to put it back together again "I never wanted this life, I never wanted this… I just want…" He trailed off, his eyes clouding with a longing so strong it shocked him to his core "Have you ever been to Manarola? No, no you haven't" He gave her a small smile after he answered his own question "It's a small fishing village placed in the north of Italy, on the Riviera of Liguria. It rises like a balcony above the sea and it's filled with small houses painted in pastel colors… I wish I wish to live there someday"

Elena frowned "You do?"

He looked down at her "You'll love it there" He said before his hand went to touch her cheek, smears of blood tainting the clear skin of her face "You'll stand at the edge of your balcony to smell the saltiness of the sea and feel the humidity wet your face, a glass of limoncello in hand as you watch the crystal blue sea extending before you" The longing for that place, for that future, was so strong it made his body ache.

He could picture it all: shared cannoli's as they retailed stories about their days, her lithe body clad in a clear blue summer dress and her hair loose and blowing in the wind, she would greet him with a kiss and drag him into the balcony to watch the sunset while a small child rests against her chest.

"It sounds beautiful" She whispered and the emotion in her voice made him wonder if perhaps she was picturing the same thing as him if perhaps the connection they share is so strong that they even share the same dreams.

"That is my dream" He confessed as the longing in his eyes transformed to despair "To go there and cease to exist to everyone else, to lead a simple life away from all of this" A small smile curved his lips "Maybe I could become a fisherman"

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she stared up at him "Damon…It's a beautiful dream" She whispered before taking his hands and placing a gentle kiss to his wounds. He wondered how it was possible for her to feel such empathy for hands that had caused so much pain, ended so many times.

He hated to look at them sometimes.

He knew he should pull away but he didn't, he allowed her to touch and pet his hands as he whispered "But a dream and nothing more. I am doomed to this place, to this life"

She rose from her knees and went to sit next to him "No you aren't" She told him fervently before dropping his hands and cradling his face instead. "There has to be a way out"

Damon leaned into her touch, his eyes closing at the feel of her "Don't be naïve Bonita. You know I can never get out…" His words trailed off and he opened his eyes to stare at her "I couldn't leave you here among them"

Her face transformed with a hopeful expression "I could go with you" She told him "We could both disappear"

Damon felt something twist inside him, an unwanted hope filling every crevice of his body "A beautiful dream" He said once again but then his expressions dropped as the reality of their situation hit him "But you know it cannot be"

Warm clear tears rolled down her cheeks then "I fear of you and for you" She whispered, her thumb tracing gentle circles in the skin of his jaw "I fear one day I'll wake up and the Damon I know will be gone"

Emotion overwhelmed him once again "If he ever disappears would you help me bring him back?" His voice cracked at the end of the sentence and Elena couldn't stop herself anymore, she pulled him into her and cradled his body to hers as if he were nothing but a child.

His arms wrapped themselves around her middle as steel bands, his body seeking a comfort only she could provide, his soul and heart finding solace in the one place they knew would never harm them. Elena had always been his lighthouse and this time Damon believed he was ready to come home.

"Always," She said as she moved him so his head was resting on top of her lap and her hands busied themselves with the soft messy hair on his head.

His hands fisted the dark fabric of her dress at the same time he buried his face in her lap "Don't give up on me, please Len don't give up on me" He kept chanting the words as the night settled around them and the exhaustion of the last couple of days finally dragged him under.

That night he dreamed of the sea and soft breeze on his face.


	14. Author's Note

**Hello there!**

**This chapter is actually one of my favorites and I was very excited about you reading it, however, I'm having a hard time thinking whether I should continue writing this story. In case you didn't know, I am from México, one of the countries that are the most infested by what we call organized crime. Last night an entire city was sieged by the most important cartel of the country because police had the son of "El Chapo" under custody, the government decided to release the man back to his people in order to stop the blood bath that would surely follow if they didn't. It was a dark day for the country, people were hurt, police and military men perished under criminal hands, kids ran away scared by the sound of bullets, the city became no man's land.**

**Over the last few years, there has been a growth in organized crime portrayed on tv. Cartels are glorified in songs, tv shows and even movies to the point people have started romancing it, now they want to belong to that world and I realize how important is the impact that situation has over the violence in the country.**

**This isn't my first story about the criminal world and it is not my intention to glorify or victimize the lives of criminals, I really want to tell a story and humanize Damon as much as possible but that doesn't mean I justify criminal actions or glamourize them, I think of this story as nothing but fictional and I do not condone the actions taken by the characters in this. I know how much pain organized crime can cause, I know the terror it inflicts on the people and the brutal way in which it operates, I do not and have never supported it.**

**Like I say, I am really struggling with my thoughts on this and I reiterate that I do not condone this behavior at all, this been said I'll be posting the chapter later today and I hope you enjoy it and as me appreciate this story as nothing but fiction.**


	15. The Sinner

_But who prays for Satan? Who in eighteen centuries has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?_

**-Mark Twain-**

**.**

**.**

The rainy days stopped and the bright warm sun appeared in the sky instead, Elena knew she was due to return to school in a couple of days but she wasn't sure that was still her plan. Her father and step-mother had gone back to the states the previous week and she was supposed to return in two days but the mere idea of hopping on a plane and leaving Damon behind made her chest ache with unwanted pain.

He was hurting.

Damon wanted to pretend that everything was fine and that the little outburst he had the night of his grandfather's funeral hadn't happened but she couldn't forget it. She couldn't pretend she hadn't seen the fear and the loneliness reflected in his gaze, the longing and utter despair that flashed in his face as he crumbled down in front of her.

He wasn't returning to the States yet and she didn't want to leave without him.

Since they arrived in Colombia for the funeral almost two weeks ago, Elena had been transported back to happier times, to days playing around in the beach with her step-brothers and warm succulent food prepared by Vanessa. Longing for those days was growing inside her and making her want to remain locked away in the tropical paradise forever, without her father breathing down Damon's neck and her step-mother making them play pretend, she just wanted to be as free as that girl who had enjoyed her summers in this place.

With her in mind, Elena had come up with the idea of making a bonfire on the beach, she would recruit Stefan to help her set it up and ask Vanessa to prepare Damon's favorite food, they would share stories and laugh like they had done so many times in the past.

She barged into Stefan's bedroom with intentions of sharing her idea for the evening and was shocked to see him throwing clothes into the half-packed suitcase that rested on the bed.

A burning sense of fury started building up inside her as she strode into the room "You're going to leave just like that?" She hissed at him "He needs you"

Stefan released an exasperated sigh, his hands busy folding and stacking clothes "Damon knows I'm leaving, Elena" He told her "I wouldn't do it without his consent"

"Wouldn't you?" She asked and when she got no response the fury intensified inside her. Her hand shot up to Stefan's wrist and gripped it tightly, finally making him pause in his task. His hazel eyes rose to meet hers and what she found there startled her "Family always comes first" She said the words her father had been repeating to her since she was old enough to understand them.

Stefan's expression hardened "Sometimes duty is more important" He bit out at the same time he forcefully released himself from Elena's grasp.

"Duty to your girlfriend?"

A troubled expression crossed Stefan's face, his mouth opened as if to say something but he seemed to conflict with the words he wanted to say. He breathed deeply before focusing his eyes completely in Elena "There's so much you don't know Elena, you wouldn't understand"

She released an exasperated grunt "Then explain it to me! Don't keep me in the dark about all of this"

Stefan released a bitter laugh, his eyes darkening as he stared at her "Wasn't that you wish? To be as far away from this side of our world as you could? You can't have it both ways Principessa"

His words were a punch to her gut. Elena was aware she had tried her best to distance herself from the affairs his step-brother's and father deal with but she always expected than when push came to the shove she would be included. It was jarring to realize she was being left behind.

She moved a step back, her movements guarded as if she was seeing Stefan in a new light. He seemed taken aback by her movements and the shadows that had followed him everywhere the last couple of months seemed to move away, just slightly.

Even so, she couldn't stop the words that left her lips "You're starting to sound a lot like Damon"

Stefan gave her a sad smile "I always did Elena, you just didn't notice. You can't notice anything that isn't him" She couldn't find words to reply to his statement so instead she just moved away, headed in direction of the door and left him alone with his plans.

Something was brewing inside the walls of the organization, she could tell, and for the first time in her life, it killed her to be out of the loop. She stood at the threshold of his room for a couple of seconds and watched Stefan pack his things, a cold determination on his face she hadn't seen before, or perhaps she hadn't wanted to.

She always thought Damon to be the logical candidate to replace her father once he stepped down but as he watched the other Salvatore she wondered if perhaps she had been wrong.

Sensing she still hadn't left the room completely, Stefan stopped his tasks and breathed deeply before looking at her "I'm not abandoning him, I am showing my loyalty"

"To who?"

Something sparkled in his eyes, something dark and dangerous that left her feeling just a little bit cold inside "To the Salvatore" He answered before resuming the task at hand and forgetting all about her.

Elena left his room feeling a dead weight settling in her chest "What about the Gilberts?" She asked herself as she walked towards her bedroom, suddenly feeling more impotent than ever.

* * *

Elena didn't let herself get discouraged with Stefan's departure and decided to continue with her plan. With some help from Vanessa, she managed to prepare a small picnic and then spend a good half an hour trying to convince Damon to go with her to her favorite little corner on the beach.

She was glad to see some of the shadows that had been haunting him for the last couple of days disappearing completely from his face. She knew his responsibilities as part of their criminal family weren't over but somehow in Colombia, Damon seemed free of them, like everything that haunted him went to sleep when he found himself around the beach and under the warm sun.

They spent a good morning enjoying the freshwater and the mouthwatering food, they splashed and played around. The ball of hurt and anger that had grown between them in the last couple of months seemed to disappear; they were once again those two young people who enjoyed each other company like no other.

Elena knew it had been a tragic event that had brought them back together but she couldn't help but feel herself somehow grateful for it. In the last couple of days, she had been happier than ever before and she couldn't help but fear how things were going to change once they were back in the States again.

But she tried to cast those thoughts away and focus only on the present, in the happiness that danced through her body.

After a long day on the beach, they returned home and shared a delicious meal of fried fish, sausages, black pudding, avocados, and plantain before heading to the pool and sharing drinks under the fading sun.

Their skin had never been more tanned, she knew the sunburn she was going to experience the next day would be terrible but at the moment she didn't care. She was happy surrounded by the fresh air, the smell of sunscreen, rum in her lips and the image of Damon doing back laps in the pool, his dark hair sticking to his neck and making her want to cling to it.

"Can I know why?" Damon asked from across the pool, Elena's eyebrow rose and she lowered the magazine she had been pretending to read.

"I'm not following," She said as she moved away from the lounge chair she had been occupying and walked towards the edge of the pool.

He swam towards her and motioned for her to sit down at the edge; she complied and dipped her feet in the fresh soothing water. His hands found her ankles and he grasped them gently "Why? Why is that you're always so willing to forgive me"

She sucked in a breath at his words and the way he was looking at her "Damon—"

He interrupted her by releasing her ankles and pushing himself out of the water until he was sitting next to her "I shouldn't have let you walk away from that stall… It was an awful thing to do" True regret shone in his eyes and Elena knew at that moment that any trace of resentment she could have held for what happened between them had vanished completely.

"It was"

He gave her a sad smile "And yet here you are" His hand reached out to her until it traced her cheek softly "You always come back to me. Why?"

The tears burned behind her eyes as she leaned into his gentle touch "You know why" She answered him in a breathless whisper "I love you, Damon, I've always been in love with you" An unknown emotion crossed his features before he dropped his forehead against hers, she breathed in deeply and took her hands towards the nape of his neck, pulling him even closer to her "I know you think you're a bad person and perhaps you are, but not to me. You've always been the one saving me"

A bitter laugh escaped his lips at the same time he pulled away from her "Even when I put you in danger?"

"I've never been in danger with you"

His jaw clenched and he averted his eyes from her "Except from me" He mumbled as he stared at the darkening sky.

Her eyes burned with the unshed tears that lingered there, something quacking in her chest at the sight of Damon, once again as vulnerable as he could be in front of her. "Do you believe that?" She asked him as she grabbed his face, her thumb tracing the angry scar that ran from his mouth to the corner of his ear.

A painful expression crossed his face as he felt her touch "You don't know half the things that swirl through my mind Len" His voice wobbled with an emotion Elena hadn't heard in his voice before "I am rotten inside as much as I am on the outside. I'll never be the right choice for you"

"But you are" She stated "You've been my savior since day one, I'll never stop seeing the good in you no matter how hard you try" His eyes closed at her words, his mouth twisted in a tortured grimace "I love you, and nothing will change that" She waited for him to open his eyes, to whisper something in return, to acknowledge her words but he didn't, he remained still and quiet through it all.

She dropped her hands from his face, a cold shiver running down her back as she pulled away "You think is disgusting…my need for you. I know we grew up as—"

Her words were interrupted by the sudden move of his body, his hands gripped her face and before she could react he had joined their lips together. It was fast and carnal, his hands tangled in her damp hair as he sneaked his tongue inside, she could feel her skin heating up with each stroke and when he broke the kiss she was left panting and breathless against his mouth.

"Bonita, if it disgusted me I wouldn't have let you suck my cock in that bathroom" He murmured against her lips, his hand wandering towards her neck and resting below her pulse point "I wouldn't think in all the ways I can make you mine, I wouldn't dream of your naked body intertwined with mine every night" His words were accompanied by wet kisses along the side of her neck, her body shuddering at the implications of it all.

"Damon—"

He traced the shell of her ear with his tongue before pulling away just enough to stare into her eyes "Is this what you want Len?" He asked "Once you're mine, you'll never be anyone else's" The intensity in his eyes made the place between her legs wet with desire and she knew at that moment that things were going to change forever.

Her lips tipped up in a cheeky smile before she brushed her nose against his "I've always been only yours" She whispered before kissing him once more. They moaned into each other's mouth as the desire broke a raging inferno inside of them, his hand found the ties of her bikini, tugging at it until her breasts were bare to his hungry gaze.

"Someone might see" A small trace of panic laced her voice as she looked frantically towards the windows.

Damon ignored the urgency in her voice and focused on taking one of the rosy pebbles into his mouth, Elena's back arched towards him as he played with her "You wanted to be mine, don't you?" He said against her chest "Let them see who you belong to"

Elena's toes curled in pleasure as his fingers sneaked underneath her bikini bottoms, his hand forcing her legs to part for him and allowing him access to the most private part of her "Damon…" She moaned as she felt him flicker at her pleasure point.

His lips abandoned her chest and he moved them towards her ear "I've changed my mind" He said seconds before holstering her up into his arms "They don't get to see you" His words were followed by another hungry kiss, her legs wrapping around his waist and allowing him to carry her back inside the house.

Her breasts rubbed against his wet chest in the most delicious of ways, her skin felt on fire, every sense on high alert as he carried her towards her bedroom, their lips never once leaving each other.

"You have no idea how many nights I thought about fucking you here," He told her as he placed her in the center of her queen-sized bed "How many nights I craved to feel your touch"

Elena closed her eyes and moaned at his words, of course, she knew, she had been burning for him since she was old enough to like boys. "I promised I would be good, I would protect you"

He stood in front of her, his hungry eyes raking over her half-naked body "But you don't want me to be good, don't you?" He asked as he took her ankles and raised her legs towards him, her feet resting on top of his chest "You don't want me to protect you from myself don't you?"

Elena didn't trust herself with words at the moment; so instead, she grabbed the strings of her bottoms and tugged until the fabric felt at the sides, releasing her glistening flesh to his eyes. His chest heaved as he stared at her, hungry eyes tracing ever curve of her as she moved her legs to rest on his shoulders and spread herself wide for him.

She could see the monster inside him wanting to break free, fighting for release and a chance to devour her whole, but then something changed, his eyes flickered towards hers and the hunger in them transformed into something else, something that warmed Elena's chest, something she didn't dare to hope.

"Len…" The word was a soft murmur on his lips, a prayer whispered in the darkened night before he leaned over her, his lips finding hers once again and pouring into her all the emotions that had been locked inside him for so long.

Her eyes filled with tears as she felt him releasing himself from his trunks and finding her warm and slick between her legs "I love you" She whispered against his mouth, unable to control herself as she felt him pushing inside her, finally after so long.

When Elena thought about her first time with Damon she always pictured it to be raw and animalistic, like he had been with Rose and with that girl she had seen him when she was only sixteen, but instead of that he surprised her with gentle moves and sweet words whispered into her lips.

He moved on top of her with the easiness of someone who knew every trace of her body, he knew where to touch and where to kiss. Elena lost herself in the feel of him, in the pleasure he evoked in her and the sense of completion he brought into her.

He wasn't fucking her, she realized, he was making love to her.

Tears fell from her eyes at the realization and she urged him on, her hands going to his buttocks and bringing him closer to her, wanting him to remain locked whiting her and never let him leave.

"Tell me you love me" He panted against her mouth, making something inside her stir and come alive "Tell me you'll never leave"

Elena threw her head back when she felt his fingers playing with the place between her legs, the pleasure overwhelming her completely "I love you" She nearly shouted, her stomach coiling with the approaching pleasure "I'll never leave you, I love you so much"

Stars exploded behind her closed eyelids, her hands grappling at his back with a ravenous force, her body shook uncontrollably with the force of her orgasm, her toes curling and skin tingling with the force of a pleasure she hadn't ever felt before and when she thought it was all going to be over she felt him growing larger inside her and releasing himself with a guttural cry and bruising hands against her hips, his pleasure taking her to another level, one she never wanted to come back from.

He slumped against her, his body heaving, his heart beating on top of her. He pulled out of her and went to move but Elena trapped him with her legs "Not yet" She said and sighed with relief when he dropped his head into her chest, nuzzling her skin tenderly. "Stay here, just a while" He didn't answer her and for a second fear grappled at her, she couldn't stand him walking away from her, but then he placed a kiss in the middle of her chest as if somehow he had sensed the panic wanting to take hold of her.

"I'm not going anywhere" He answered against her skin.

Elena smiled and as her eyelids closed she felt Damon pulling the comforter over them "Te amo más que a la vida misma, mi bonita" Those where the last words she heard before the tiredness of the day took her away, she went to sleep with a smile on her lips, even if she didn't understand a thing he said.


	16. I Fell In Love With The Devil

_There's been a lot of awful incidents regarding organized crime in my country in the last couple of weeks but instead of allowing my trepidation to control me I've decided to channel it in another direction, there two reviews that resonated with me a lot and made see things from another perspective, one was an anonymous and the other one was Simone9 and I'm very grateful to them and to all of you for the support you've shown me._

_I feel the need to remark that this story is merely fiction and I do not condone in any way the actions taken by the characters here, but please do enjoy! And please forgive me for all the typos._

* * *

"I fell in love with the devil, and now I'm in trouble. I fell in love with the devil, I'm underneath his spell. Someone send me an angel, to lend me a halo. I fell in love with the devil, please, save me from this hell"

**-Avril Lavigne-**

**.**

**.**

He sees her hiding behind the curtains.

_Her glittery pink shoes are peaking from underneath and he has to contain the laugh that wants to escape his lips at her slip, she always thinks she can beat him at this game but she never does. He takes slow tentative steps towards the flowery curtain that hangs from the wooden ceiling and hears her happy giggles coming from behind._

"_Gotcha!" He shouts at the same time he moves the curtain aside and finds nothing but thin air, a frown appears on his forehead as he stares at the wide window stretching in front of him._

"_Damon!" The shout comes from behind him and he twirls in time to see the man of his nightmares with the hands around Elena's throat, except she is no longer the little girl with glittery pink shoes but the woman who went to sleep next to him the night before._

_"Get ready to say goodbye," The man says, that dark sinister voice he has stored in his memory all this time fills his ears "Game over" He speaks again as his cruel eyes seem to stare at something behind Damon._

_He slowly turns around to face the window once again and has to contain the cry that wants to burst from his throat as he stares at the body hanging from the ceiling, his eyes zooming on the polished black shoes._

_"Be brave Damon" A small voice says and it takes him a while to understand it comes from behind the curtain, his eyes don't find glittery pink shoes this time but a pair of small dirty naked feet peeking from below._

_With a shaky hand he reaches towards the fabric and once again pulls the curtain aside, wide scared eyes stare at him "Help me" She says and the voice seems to echo in his head "Don't let him hurt me" A weight settles in his chest as he stares at the disheveled hair and broken eyes that haunt every one of his dreams but before he can reach his hand to touch her he feels the cold metal of a blade piercing him from behind. _

He wakes up with a gasp, his heart beating a mile a minute and threatening to come out of his chest. Cold sweat covers his skin and every one of his limbs seems to be trembling.

"Damon?" A voice next to him whispers and it takes him a while to realize the nightmare is really over "Are you all right?" Elena asks and he nearly sighs with relief when his eyes meet hers.

"I am now" He confesses as he reaches for her and brings her into the circle of his arms. His face buries itself on her hair as he inhales in her scent, the feel of her body next to him is enough to ground him and convince him he is no longer inside that twisted nightmare that keeps haunting him.

"You were dreaming," Elena says as she moves away from him slightly, her hand finding his forehead and caressing as if he were a mere child "You were whimpering"

He looks away now "Probably a nightmare, I can't remember" He lies and the words taste like ash in his mouth.

She gives him a look that lets him know she is not buying anything he is saying but doesn't push on it, she only sighs and wraps her arms around him "Is almost morning" Elena says and the knowledge makes something ease inside him.

He doesn't feel like going back to sleep and the idea of the sun rising in a couple of hours makes the lingering fear the nightmare left in him to recces, to turn into nothing but a shadow peeking from the distance.

Damon is a murderer. A cruel and twisted man that can snap a man's neck in a minute and delights in fearing nothing, except the feelings the nightmares leave in him. The torturous knowledge that there will always be a monster bigger than him and that the people he loves will live in danger forever.

"You want to go to the beach today?" Elena asks and forces him to come back to her, to leave the shadowy world behind him and focus only on the sound of her voice.

He shakes his head in denial "I think my body has suffered enough from the sunburns"

"Cry, baby"

He releases a small laugh and the sound seems to echo in the thick walls, a sound so foreign to his ears that at first, he doesn't he realize he was the one making it.

"What do you want to do then?" Elena asks as she moves away from him and sits cross-legged on the bed. His stark white sheets are twisted around her body and cover almost all her naked body except for the small hint of a left nipple that peeks at him.

"I want to worship you" He responds as he tugs on the sheet just enough to reveal her left breast to his eyes "I want to enjoy you" His voice is thick and filled with longing and desire as he reaches to cup her breast in his hand. "I want to recover all the lost time"

A sigh leaves her lips and her eyes close as her head is thrown back in pleasure, his thumb flickers her nipple gently a couple of times before he leans down and glides his tongue around the rosy bud.

"Damon…" She whispers and takes her hands to his hair, her fingers sweeping over the dark strands as his mouth paints a trail from her chest to her neck, his fingers replacing his mouth once again on top of her breasts.

"Isn't my plan so much better?" He asks as his mouth hovers over hers, her eyes opening and peering up at him from underneath her lashes "Tell me you love me"

He demands once again, as he did the first time he allowed himself to find pleasure inside her. She does not disappoint him and as she wraps her arms around his back and pulls him to her she whispers "I love you"

Something inside him seems to light up at her words, his body finding hers and merging with her once again; the soft murmur of his name on her lips as he takes over and over again.

* * *

The sun is high in the sky by the time they manage to leave the bed, three weeks they have been in Colombia and Damon knows the time to go back home is slowly approaching. The idea of hiding himself with her in Colombia for the rest of his life is so appealing it makes his chest ache but he knows it is an impossible notion, they would never stop haunting him and he could never live with himself if he allowed John Gilbert to win.

They spend the day touring Colombian small markets, hands holding as they stroll around the colorful streets and collect their necessities for that night's dinner. They could almost be a normal couple if it weren't for the gun hiding in his jeans and the bulky men following them discreetly for protection.

When the suns starts to set they go back to the estate and waste too much water while showing together, Damon almost feels like floating and the knowledge makes something quicken with fear inside him. The calm before the storm, he thinks, and he tries to push the thought away to the back of his mind.

That night Elena dresses herself in a yellow flower printed summer dress and her damp hair is sticking to her cheeks as they lower the stairs to the kitchen, her bare feet make no sound on the marble floor and he finds himself obsessed at the sight of them, at the domesticity that seems to have taken hold of them in the last couple of days.

Their evening is full of laughs and inside jokes as they move around the kitchen following Vanessa's instructions for pasta al Pomodoro and pistachio cannoli, the old maid had perfected the recipe a long time ago after learning it was Damon's father favorite dish and despite the pain and sadness that surrounded his death it never stopped being Damon's favorite too, it somehow reminds him of his childhood before the darkness swallowed him whole.

Vanessa had chilled a bottle of Nebbiolo and refused their invitation for dinner, instead, she suggested for them to eat in the balcony of what once was Elena's room, Damon had never seen the old woman's eyes shine as bright as they did when she saw them walk away with their dishes in hand.

They sat across from each other in the small silver-colored table located on the balcony, the moon high up in the sky and the humid air sticking to their bodies. The tangy strong taste of the cherry-flavored wine slipped down his throat as he stared at the woman in front of him, a small smudge of tomato sauce had stuck to her upper lip and was making her look extremely cute.

"Did you manage to speak with your tutor?" He asks at the same time he leans forward and removes the tomato with his thumb.

Her eyes follow his movement and he watches in delight as goosebumps break in her skin at the contact "I did" She answers, her voice coming out in a breathy whisper.

Damon gives her a scolding look as he leans back on his chair once again "Elena…"

"I'll call her in a bit but I just know she'll be super pissed," She tells him before reaching for her glass and sipping a long gulp of the dark liquid "I shouldn't be losing so much school"

"I offered to return you in time"

Her eyes sparkle with mischief, a small smile tugging her lips at the corners "I didn't want to leave"

Damon tries to suppress his smile but it turns to be impossible, whenever he is with her he feels like a whole new person. He feels free for the first time in so long.

He releases a sigh and reaches for a piece of cannoli "I could always speak with the dean; you know to balance the scale in your favor"

Elena's eyes widen in horror "No please, don't"

He stares at her, at the innocence in her eyes and the sweetness on her face. He stares at her and tries to conjure such an angel to the world they live in, other people wouldn't have hesitated to make use of the influence their family could provide, not caring that said influences came from blood and murder.

But not Elena, no, she wanted everything around her to be true.

"You are so pure Len," He says, the words slipping out his mouth without him even trying "No matter how much darkness touch you, it can never taint you"

He thinks back to the night he took her to see him kill a man, to the horrid cry that had left her lips and how her body had shaken as she cried in his arms, to the many nights he came home covered in blood and she patched him up, not caring the same hands she was holding had ended a man's life minutes earlier.

He had been nothing but darkness in her life and yet he hadn't been able to diminish her light.

"I wouldn't be so sure" She whispers, her hands tracing the outline of her wine glass as her eyes got lost in the extensive land that spreads below the balcony "You would be surprised if you knew the things that swirl in my head sometimes"

"Doubt it"

"Do you ever…?"

"What?"

Her eyes met his, curious hazel orbs staring straight at him "Regret the things you've done" She asked "Don't you ever feel guilty"

Damon takes a deep breath as he thinks about her question, about the implications in her words. Did he ever feel guilty? He couldn't tell if it was guilt but sometimes when he couldn't sleep at night the faces of the people who had perished at his hand appeared to torment him, and pressure so strong manifested in his chest, leaving him almost breathless and unable to move.

So perhaps he did felt guilty, but he also knew that things couldn't be different.

He swirls the wine in his glass as he answers her, his eyes fixed on the dark liquid moving around in the glass "In our line of work Elena, there is no time to feel guilty. Guilty gets you killed"

He sees a flicker of disappointment cross her face before she stands up and walks towards his side of the table "It gets me sad" She says as she lowers herself into his lap "To think about what us humans are capable of doing, what you are capable of doing"

His head leans back and his eyes close as he feels her hands lose themselves in his hair "I am a monster Elena" He whispers "You've known that from the start, are you sure you can love me still?"

"I already do" Her soft murmur is accompanied by one of her hand moving to the scarred side of his face "And perhaps that makes me a monster as well" Her fingers trace the marks that had tormented him for most of his life with such gentle care that he feels the need to weep "Damon… do you love me?"

His eyes open and he finds her staring down at him, naked emotion shining in her face. He sucks in a breath before raising his hand and touching her cheek with the same care she was touching his "I don't think I knew what love was until you came into my life" He confesses "I don't— I wouldn't know if love is the right word to describe it but… I yearn for you in a way I've never done for anything, you're always on my mind and the mere idea of seeing you hurt paralyzes me. I want to cherish you and protect you and to be the only important thing in your life, I want to be your whole world and I don't know if that's love—I don't know if love could encompass all I feel for you, mi bonita"

Her eyes fill with tears as she stares down at him "Damon…"

His fingers move a strand of hair behind her ear before they trace a path from her neck to the center of her chest "I am dead most of the time Elena, except when I'm with you"

She closes her eyes at his words, her forehead dropping into his "I love you, I love you so much" She whispers before joining her lips with his.

They made love on the balcony that night, the moon as the only witness of the passion that burned between them. They touched and kissed as if it was the first and the last time they would be together, their bodies moving together in a way they had never done with anyone else.

Afterward, he carried her inside her and roped her body with the white silk sheets on the bed, her head finding his chest and his arms securing themselves around her. The window was left open and the cold air of the night filtered through so their bodies snuggled together to keep themselves warm.

When he wakes up the next morning their limbs are still tangled around each other and he has never felt happier than he does at that moment until the burner phone he keeps locked in his drawer startles him with its sound.

He extricates himself from her body and goes to retrieve the offending device, all traces of sleep leaving his body as he stares at the message that had arrived.

_Katherine. _

Something warm pools in his stomach at the sight of her name, a peace he hadn't known he needed settling in his chest as he reads the words she had forwarded to him, he can almost see her honeyed eyes staring up at him as he reads.

Elena moves in her sleep at the sound makes his head snap towards her, suddenly his nightmare comes rushing back, her pink glittery shoes peeking from underneath the curtain, the man's hand around her throat, a dirty old warehouse and the laughs of men as they had fun at the expenses of an innocent.

Bile rises at his throat and mixes with a gripping fear, he turns off the phone in his hand and slips beneath the cold silk sheets once again, bringing the warm body of the sleeping woman in it closer to his.

He breathes in her scent and he slowly runs his fingers through her naked back, her skin breaking in goosebumps at the contact, he hears her breath and forces the fear to recede. Elena is alive and safe in his arms and he intends to keep it that way, he doesn't care who steps into his way, he would kill the devil himself if he ever tries to harm her.

There is no limit for him; Damon would do anything in his power and beyond to keep Elena from being the girl in his nightmares.


	17. An angel and a devil fell in love

"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.  
It did not end well."

**-Laini Taylor-**

**.**

**.**

White gauzy curtains blew away with the wind that filtered through the open double doors leading to the balcony. The night was quiet and the moon was big and round up in the sky, a yellow lantern casting an almost ethereal glow on every surface.

"I wish we could stay here forever" She whispered as she snuggled closer into his body, her voice a barely audible whisper over the sing of the cicadas outside their window.

His lips widened in one of his rare kind smiles "I wish I had the power to make all of your dreams come true" He kissed the top of her head as his fingers ghosted over the skin of her naked back,

"I had a dream last night," She said at the same time her eyes closed under the peaceful pleasure of his fingers on her bare skin.

A suggestive sound slipped past his lips "What kind of dream?" He asked before nudging his leg against the still damp place between her legs.

Elena laughed and moved her pelvis away from him, the white silk sheets that were tangled around her legs moved with her, leaving him completely bare to her gaze "Not that kind of dream" She answered before allowing her eyes to wander a couple of seconds over his naked form.

His lips widened in another smile as he propped himself on one elbow, completely unabashed at his nude state "What kind of dream then? Tell me about it"

Her cheeks colored in embarrassment, her fingers going to trace the hundreds of silver scars that were scattered around his torso "It was more of a memory" She answered absently as she allowed her fingers to lose themselves in the mysterious map that was Damon's Salvatore body.

"It was about that time when the chauffer lost me"

He groaned and stopped her finger's movement "Don't even remind me" He said before taking her hand to his lips and kissing each finger softly "I died a thousand deaths that day"

Her eyes stared up at him, pure devotion shining in the hazel orbs "I got out of school early and decided to go with a friend to her house, I was thirteen" She started retelling the story as if he somehow could have forgotten that fateful day "When the chauffeur came he couldn't find me and called you straight away" A small laugh left her lips "Not father, he called you. My seventeen-year-old stepbrother"

His hands reached to her waist and pulled her body closer to his, his legs tangling around hers as his hands settled on her lower back "Why do you want to remind me of this?"

"You were mad with worry by the time you found me" She murmured against his chest, "You said you were going to kill him but I begged you not" Her lips found the hollow of his throat and she placed a gentle kiss in it "You listened to me"

"Have I ever not?"

"I could think of a few times"

"Hush"

Elena's lips traced the skin of his throat until she reached his jaw "I was dreaming about that day last night, about how tight you held me and how you peppered my face with kisses" She said as she mimicked the actions described on her words, Damon's eyes closed at the feel of her lips on the scarred side of his face "You've always been my hero, always"

"Always will be"

His hand wandered down from her waist towards her backside, his fingers dipping into the creamy flesh and forcing her closer into his wanting heat "I want to keep you locked away in this place forever" He confessed "Where nothing can hurt you and no one can take me away from you"

Her mouth parted in a silent gasp as she felt him slipping inside her once again, Damon had taken ownership over her body over and over again during the time they had shared in Colombia but each time Elena still felt it like the first time, she was still unable to believe she was finally free to be loved by him.

"No one will ever take you away from me" She vowed as a steady rhythm was found between them, their laborious breathing overshadowing the lousy cicadas on the balcony "I won't let them"

Damon buried his face on her neck, his hands filling with her breasts as his hips moved against hers over and over again "Promise me" His strangled voice whispered against the skin of her neck, the vibration of it making shivers dance through her whole body.

"I promise"

A high pitched scream tore out of her throat when her climax surprised her, toes curling and limbs shaking as the explosion ravaged her. His body slumping over hers after his pleasure had taken hold of him "I don't want to leave" She voiced her thoughts again as she felt him going completely soft inside her.

Damon moved to pull away but she locked him in place with her legs "Not yet" She said "Let me savor this moment a bit more" He sighed and remained locked inside her, his lips kissing the side of her neck and allowing exhaustion to take him.

Elena stroked his back as she felt him going lax against her, mere seconds passed before his breath evened out and she knew he was fast asleep. She wanted to freeze that moment forever, to remain with him inside that cocooned space they had created for themselves in that tropical paradise and never leave.

A dreading feeling was settling in her stomach and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, it refused to go away. A storm was brewing outside their windows and she wanted to delay it as much as she could, she had finally gotten Damon and she didn't want anything to take him away from her.

She would fight the devil himself if he dared to part him from her.

* * *

She stared at him from across her seat in the private plane they were taking back to the states. The feeling of unease that had settled into her stomach over the last couple of hours spread as she watched his furrowed brow as his fingers moved with expertise over the cellphone in his hand.

Damon had been receiving texts and excusing himself to speak on the phone that morning more than he usually did and Elena couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was lurking around the corner. Things had evolved between then in the last couple of days but she wasn't dumb enough to believe he would suddenly open up to her about things he had wanted her oblivious to, but she dared to hope.

Elena wanted nothing more than to crack open the enigma that was Damon Salvatore and for him to allow her to known the deepest parts of his soul, it was only fair since he knew her the deepest parts of her.

"Something is wrong" She didn't realize the words had been spoken aloud until his eyes abandoned the phone in his hand and went to hers.

"Sorry?" His hand placed the device face down on his seat "What do you mean?" He unbuttoned the strap on his seatbelt and stood up to head in her direction.

"Who's been calling you?" She asked bluntly, not wanting to tiptoe around the matter anymore. She saw something shift in Damon's expression, the softness, and openness that had been there the entirety of their time in Colombia overshadowed by a coldness so deep it made her flinch in response.

"That is not of your business"

She sucked in a breath before swiftly unbuttoning her seatbelt and moving to stand, a hand on her arm stopped her from doing so "I am sorry" She looked at him and saw the regret etched into his face but it wasn't enough to calm the anger growing in her.

"I won't do this Damon," Elena said as she eased back in her seat again "I won't have you lashing out at me and becoming this iceman whenever you please"

"Elena—"

"I want Damon, not The Reaper"

Now it was his time to suck in a breath, his startled eyes stared back at her and she realized it was the first time she directed herself to him by the name the people in the organization had given him.

"And I know he and you are two separate entities"

"Are they?"

Unable to stop herself she moved her hand until It was cupping the right side of his face "Of course they are" She told him and watched in awe as his eyes closed and he leaned into her touch "They've been all along"

Damon took a deep breath and allowed his forehead to drop into hers "I want to tell you everything Len, and I will but not right now. It is not safe, not until everything is set into motion"

Elena breathed into his comforting and familiar scent and felt the previous anger melting inside her "What is going to be set into motion Damon? You're scaring me"

He shook his head before nuzzling his nose into hers "You don't need to be afraid mi Bonita **(my pretty girl)** I will protect you always but I need you to trust me on this, can you do that Elena? Can you trust that I will share everything with you when the time is right?"

She wanted to protest, wanted to throw a tantrum and demand answers at the moment but knew it would be no use, she had to seize what was given to her which was more than he had been willing to compromise before, so she breathed in his scent once again and told herself she trusted no one else in this world more than she did Damon.

"I can do that" She answered before she felt his lips settling over her with a calming softness, a mere ghost of his skin against hers but that encompassed a million words that couldn't be uttered.

He pulled away from her mouth and fastened her seatbelt once again before doing it with himself as well, his cellphone forgotten on the seat across from them "How about we entertain ourselves with a movie?"

Elena smiled at him before dropping her head on his shoulder and letting him choose which flick would be their companion through the rest of their trip. The impending return to the states was looming over them and she wanted nothing more than to stay in that moment forever.

The sun was bright in the sky when they landed back in New York City, despite this, a chilly wind swept through her skin as she stepped outside the airport into the sleek black car that was waiting for them.

Elena tightened around her body the thin blazer she had brought with her as she settled into the leather seat of the car, Damon exchanged a few words with the driver before putting the partition on and huddling next to her.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" He asked as he laced their hands together, Elena stared with a certain awe at the way their fingers interlaced with each other.

A part of her had been certain Damon was going to withdraw from her the minute they landed back in the states but he hadn't and thought she didn't want it she couldn't diminish the burning hope that flared in her chest.

Now that they had returned she was due to a small visit to her career coordinator to discuss her absence of the previous days, it was the last thing she wanted because she believed that going back to school would somehow burst the bubble she and Damon had created around themselves and she wanted nothing more than to enjoy that blissfully peace for a little longer.

She released a nonchalant laugh in hopes he couldn't see the distress it provoked in her to part ways with him "You just want to scare off my classmates"

He snickered and buried his face in her neck "You bet"

"I'll be fine, and I know you have things to do" The minute she said the words she regretted them. His face got somber and it was like all of the ghosts that haunted him had entered into the enclosed space with them.

In a feeble attempt to erase the last couple of seconds she took one of her hands towards his face and tipped his chin up to her "Will I see you later though? Back at my place?"

The shadows that had covered his face earlier vanished and something in his expression softened "Actually, there's somewhere else I want to take you" He said before once again taking his head to her neck and nipping tenderly at the skin in there "But I will pick you up at your apartment, prepare an overnight bag"

Elena closed her eyes with a sigh as she allowed herself to be enveloped in the smell and feel of him "Okay, now I am excited" She told him, she wanted nothing more than to be tangled in white sheets with him once again.

"That's what I was hoping for," He said before raising his head and pecking her lips softly.

Elena smiled up at him and caressed his bottom lip with her thumb "I love you" She whispered knowing she wouldn't get a response from him so she wasn't surprised when he took her in his arms and kissed the breath out of her.

Damon had never been a man of words; he was a man of actions.

* * *

After a long and tiring talk with her advisor about her workload and schedule, Elena stepped out of the building wanting nothing more than a glass of wine and curl herself around Damon on her couch.

Dusk had started settling in and the slightly chilly wind had turned into a frostbite caress as she stepped into the bustling streets of the city. No matter how hard she fought Damon on the subject he had been relentless at her going back home in a cab or the subway so he had posted a driver, something her father had failed on before, Damon had succeeded.

Elena typed a quick text to Enzo, the man Damon had assigned to guard her and waited on the sidewalk for the sleek black car. As she stood there with the lights of the buildings shining on her she felt a pair of eyes following her every move.

It was a feeling unlike anything she ever had before, the hairs at the back of her neck stood up as a chill that had nothing to do with the weather ran down her back. Her hazel eyes scanned frantically at the people around her but she saw nothing out of the ordinary, only hurried people walking by in an attempt to get to their homes.

Her fingers moved quickly over her phone as she fired another text to Enzo, the feeling of unease had spread quickly over her body and she wanted nothing more than to be inside her home, warm and safe.

She saw the sleek black car at the distance and recognized Enzo in the driver seat, in her haste to get to him she managed to bump into someone "I'm sorry" She whispered as her eyes met with a pair of clear brown eyes.

"It's okay" The man answered in a heavily English accent. He was wearing a dark grey suit and had light brown hair, he looked refined and quite handsome, yet there was something in his stare that unnerved her

She gave him a small smile and moved to walk past him but a hand on her elbow stopped her "You should be more careful, there are dangerous people in the streets these days" He said cryptically as his suddenly cold eyes focused on something behind her.

The blood drained out of her face as the same feeling of minutes earlier invaded her "I—uh, thanks" She said hastily before scurrying past him.

"See you around, Elena"

Her stomach dropped at the sound of her name, she hurried her step and was inside of the black car in no time. The familiar scent Damon's cologne had left behind in the leather seats filled her as she settled back, her heart beating a mile a minute.

Her gaze collided with Enzo's in the rear-view mirror "You were speaking with someone" He stated and Elena saw coldness seething from his dark eyes.

"I don't know who he was" She whispered as she fidgeted with her phone "Someone was watching me"

Enzo nodded and moved his gaze back to the road in front of them, Elena leaned her head back in her seat in resignation knowing that was the only response she was going to get from the eerily quiet man.

Her phone pinged in her hand and she lowered her eyes to see a text from Damon _"You okay?"_ He asked and Elena didn't even have to wonder how long it had taken Enzo to let him know what had happened.

"_I just want to be with you"_ She texted back

"_We'll be together soon"_

She read the words and closed her eyes as she repeated them in her head, she didn't need to be afraid, Damon was her protector and he would never let anything or anyone harm her.


	18. Lay with me and forget the world

_Hey there!_

_Thanks a lot for your dedication and love for my story; it makes me happy to see how much you guys love it. As you know, holidays are coming and that means a whirlwind of activities, plus for me it's the busiest time of the year at work so I might not have a lot of time to write, meaning there's a chance you won't get another update until January after this one, please do not despair because I have every intention of finishing this story, and hopefully I'll manage to squeeze an update before the years end. _

_Enough with the talk now, please enjoy_

* * *

_I need your grace, to remind me_

_To find my own_

_If I lay here, if I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_._

_**-Snow Patrol-**_

_**.**_

The two brothers were sitting next to each other in a large dark red leathered couch that was placed up against the wall of the small dark office of their new acquired warehouse. The room was scarcely decorated and had its walls painted in a dull cream color, the only pieces of furniture with some character were the couch they were currently in and a wooden crafted liquor cabinet that held Damon's precious possessions.

While Damon enjoyed fine good things he didn't expect the place where he conducted his dirty affairs to ooze extravaganza; that was John's style, not his. He needed nothing more than a place secret enough to keep him under the radar; his need to brag about his affairs was his step-father's great mistake and was proving to be his downfall.

Damon's eyes were fixed on the scattered pictures on top of the small wooden table placed in front of them while his brother's attention was entirely on his phone, Damon didn't even need to ask to know who was taking over Stefan's attention.

He was about to make some snarky comment when the heavy metal door to the office opened and one of his most trusted colleagues walked inside. The elder Salvatore raised his eyebrows in direction of the newcomer before leaning back on the couch, arms stretched wide on each side of him "Look who decided to show up, it was about time"

The tall blonde man rolled his eyes at the same time he raised a middle finger in direction of his friend "Don't give me hell, I've been doing exactly as you asked" He muttered as he headed straight to the liquor cabinet.

"Took you long enough"

The other man grabbed a tumbler and poured himself a big amount of bourbon "Bite me, Damon" He said at the same time he raised his glass in direction of his friend.

Stefan exhaled deeply "Can you two stop bickering like an old married couple?" He muttered as he turned off his phone and placed it inside his jean pocket.

Damon and his longtime friend Alaric shared a smile before their expression turned somber, their minds switching to business mode. Besides Stefan and Enzo, the man Damon trusted Elena's life with, the only other person to know about their new warehouse was Alaric Saltzman.

The blonde man had been Damon's friend since childhood and one of the few he had trusted his secret with, Alaric had seen hell itself alongside Damon and ultimately shared the same goal as his, to end the monstrous empire that had risen under John Gilbert's thumb.

Damon trusted him with his life and knew for sure the man would always have his back.

"What's with the Russian, do we have what we need?" Alaric asked as he moved, tumbler in hand until he was in one of the black leather chairs placed in front of the brothers.

Damon nodded solemnly, his eyes acquiring that frosting blue glow that made his enemies piss themselves "It's all set, it's crucial that we thread carefully the next days or everything will blow up in our faces"

Alaric took the tumbler to his lips and sipped slowly "You think he can smell it?" He asked.

Damon released a deep breath, a flicker of exasperation crossing his features "Something tells me he can but I can't be sure" He murmured "My instincts seem to be off regarding him lately"

The blonde man sitting in front of him chuckled "Maybe you're too engrossed in something else" The knowing look the other man gave him was enough to start a fire in Damon's veins if it were any other man he would already have his hands around his throat for the implications in his words.

Instead, he limited himself to throw him a dark look and a warning "Don't go there, Ric"

Alaric grinned with pleasure, knowing his words had been enough to push Damon's buttons, bickering with his best friend was one of the blonde's favorite hobbies. But deciding it was enough for the moment, he took his attention to the other Salvatore brother in the room "Is everything ready for tomorrow?"

Stefan nodded, something dark shone in his eyes and made an uncomfortable feeling settle in Damon's chest "Yeah it is" He answered.

"You sure she'll be there?" Alaric asked.

Stefan grinned "I sent the invitation myself, I am sure she'll be there"

Alaric gave him a curt nod "Good, fewer people we have biting our ass, the better"

With a deep breath Stefan abruptly stood up from the couch "Speaking of, I'll leave you two to it. I have a party to plan" His words were accompanied by a wink in Damon's direction; the older brother raised his hand in a dismissive gesture and watched his brother stride away from the room.

It was a good plan but something in his gut didn't let him be completely on board with the party, they were walking a very thin line and he couldn't be sure everything wouldn't come shattering from underneath him.

Sensing something was troubling him, Alaric stood up and went to the cabinet to fix him a drink "He took down Rodriguez and his men" He commented casually as he poured ice into a tumbler.

Damon sighed "He did" A triumphant proud smile stretched across his face as he looked at his best friend "He designed the strategy all by himself"

"Smart kid" Alaric answered as he filled the tumbler with the dark amber liquid "Do you think he'll settle with being your underboss?" His tone was nonchalant but there was no fooling Damon

"You're feeling overly confident today my friend" The low dangerous tone in Damon's voice made the other man stop his actions, his eyes rising to meet his across the room.

"What, can't you see the hunger for power brewing in him?" He asked before moving towards him, drink in hand, Damon remained silent and realization dawned on Alaric "Unless…oh right"

Damon didn't wait for the other man to offer him the drink, he grabbed it and dawned it all in one gulp while Alaric went back to his place in the black leather chair "People won't follow him, Damon, not while you're—"

Damon cut him off with the banging on the tumbler against the wooden table "I have no boss material Ric, I lack the social skills for it" He answered truthfully "I am a hitman, there's only one thing I'm good at"

Since he was a little boy Damon had been groomed for one thing alone, being a murderer. No matter how hard his grandfather tried to turn him into the great drug lord he was, Damon had been trained to be nothing but a soldier, John Gilbert had seen to it.

He was no one's boss; he was just a man with a perfect skill to end people's life.

Alaric stared at him intently, a frown marring his forehead "I wouldn't be so sure about it, look everything you've managed to set up on your own. You'll be an amazing boss, the organization will thrive under your hand I am sure of it"

_But I don't want it. _

He wanted to scream, wanted to disappear and not know anything of that forsaken world but he couldn't, not when there were so many things to do.

Damon's eyes went to the pictures scattered on top of the table "We'll see. We have a war to win first"

Alaric's expression darkened as his eyes followed Damon's train of sight "It made me sick to my stomach… what you send my way" The words dripped with the same fury Damon felt burning through his veins "I want nothing more than to see that son of a bitch in the ground"

A half-smile stretched on Damon's lips "You and me both buddy, you and me both"

* * *

By the time night had settled in, Damon and Elena found themselves relaxing with takeout sushi and a bottle of Elena's favorite rosé while the soft voice of Michael Bubble sang in the background something about believing in good things.

They were currently on Damon's new penthouse, the place he had surprised her with after she had that terrible incident a couple of days ago in the streets of New York, he still wasn't able to shake off the dread that had settled over him when Enzo had called him letting him know a strange man had followed Elena.

He only had been able to breathe when he had her back in his arms, safe and sound in the new place he had found for himself, Elena had loved it, an all the fear and nervousness she had felt minutes earlier had vanished with her excitement over the new place.

True to his style, Damon had acquired a private, full-floor penthouse in the heart of Manhattan, featuring 360 degrees panoramic views, wraparound terraces, and a private elevator lobby. It included a large living room with two fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a formal dining room.

Plus, a sexy master suite that had become Damon's favorite place in the entire pad.

The master suite was an urban bedroom with gray walls and dark hardwood floors with a walk-in closet behind glass doors, it was scarcely decorated, not that it was needed with the floor to ceiling windows overlooking New York City.

But the windows weren't the best part, nor the huge flat screen embedded into the wall or the queen-sized bed with its black soft sheets, no, Elena's and his favorite part was the in-room-Jacuzzi where they were currently resting.

Elena moaned in delight as she stuffed an entire roll of sushi salmon into her mouth, her eyes nearly rolling at the deliciousness in her mouth. Damon stared at her from the other side of the Jacuzzi, amusement all over his face "Is it good, isn't?" He asked cheekily before taking a sip of his glass of wine.

"Don't be mean" She told him with her mouth still half-full with food.

Damon smiled at the cuteness she represented at the moment, with her short hair piled as best as she could on top of her head and her cheeks full with food, tendrils of damp hair stuck to her face as she tried to balance the small plate so her food wouldn't end up in the water.

"You are adorable," He said after staring at her in silence for a couple of seconds.

Elena sighed and ate another bite before placing the plate on the edge and grabbing her glass "I can believe you actually live here" She said as she leaned back further into the water, her eyes taking in the lavish room around her.

Damon chuckled before touching her calf with his foot in a playful gesture "You speak as if your apartment was a dumpster" He joked.

Elena laughed "It sure does feel like it now"

He rolled his eyes playfully before nudging her calf again "So dramatic" Their eyes locked together for a couple of seconds, true contentment shining in them.

Damon took a small sip from his glass before placing it at the edge of the tub and hunching over to her, his hands found her shoulders and he started massaging them, her eyes closing at the pleasure of the act "You could move in then" He said casually after a couple of seconds "You wouldn't live in a dumpster anymore"

Elena laughed, not truly paying attention to his words but focusing on his hands on her shoulders and the need that had started pulsing between her legs "Yeah right"

Damon swallowed deeply, his face leaning forward until his nose was mere inches from hers "Why not? We've lived together before"

Elena's eyes opened at this as if her mind was registering he was actually being truthful "It was different" She said.

"Why?" He asked before his lips ghosted over hers, his hands sliding from her shoulders to her back and pulling her into his body, her legs locking around his waist as she settled into his lap. He removed a runaway hair from her face and caressed the skin of her neck "What's the point of being apart?"

Elena's breath rushed out of her and she allowed him to remove the glass from her hand "You really mean that" She whispered, a look of pure shock on her face before she leaned down and kissed him, her tongue delving into his mouth almost immediately "You taste like salmon" She said breathlessly after they pulled apart.

His lips twisted in a sensual smirk "You love salmon"

"Yes I do"

Damon nuzzled his nose with hers and was assaulted with a surge of tenderness for the girl in his arms; he saw the way her eyes flickered towards the window for a brief second and the worry that clouded them.

His fingers found her chin and brought her attention back to him "What is bothering you?" He asked, knowing full well there was an intrusive thought circling around that pretty head of hers.

Elena sighed and slumped into his arms, her face going to rest against his neck, their slick bodies joined together as close as they could without him being in her "I am afraid" She confessed.

Damon's hand moved up and down her back, his fingers tracing each indent on her spine with deft fingers "You don't have to be, I told you no one will ever get close to you again"

"Is not that, but— I can feel something terrible is coming Damon" Her voice wobbled slightly and it made something ache deep in his chest. "And the fact you are hiding things from me doesn't feel right"

The sigh he released was slightly impatient "Len, I told you—"

She interrupted him by moving her head again from him, her back straightening up once again so she could stare at him "I know what you said, I'm just telling you I am afraid" Her hands cupped his face and forced him to not move his gaze away from her "Something is brewing and I don't know how it'll end up"

He gave her what he hoped was a convincing smile and dropped his forehead into hers "You needn't be afraid Len; don't you trust me to keep you safe?"

Elena's eyes bore down on him, gold flecks that starred his every dream were fixed on him "I do" She finally said after a while, her body relaxing against his once again.

His lips widened into another smile "Then stop worrying and just enjoy now" A gasp escaped her mouth when his fingers got lost between her legs "Enjoy us" His lips found hers and once again and they allowed themselves to be swept away by the passion that burned between them.

Hours afterward they were curled around each other in Damon's silk sheets, his fingers tracing random patterns on the soft skin of her back as he listened her breathing evening out "I wish we could stay locked in this room forever" She murmured, already half asleep.

Damon sighed and tightened one arm around her, his lips found the top of her head and he kissed it gently. He understood her sentiment pretty well because it was the feeling that invaded him during their time in Colombia, the need to keep her locked away from all harm, to escape to a paradise only they knew of. To escape all the violence and pain that had followed him ever since he came into the world.

Damon Salvatore would never call himself a victim but he didn't like the name of predator either and though there was a time where he relished in the power and greatness that being La Parca brought him, lately he found himself wanting to erase that name forever, wanting to vanish and never again had to be him.

Elena murmured something in her sleep and made Damon lower his eyes to stare into her face, so soft and innocent. When he looked at her he still can see that sweet loving girl that had followed him everywhere when they were children, though it didn't always seem like it, he did so many things to preserve the innocence of that little girl and he was willing to do so many more to preserve the woman she came to be.

His fingers found the skin of her cheek and graze it lightly before he went to place another kiss at the top of her head; he tightened his hold on her and brought her closer to his body as he allowed his eyes to start closing.

As the winds swirled around New York skyscrapers and a beautiful girl lay sleeping in his arms, Damon Salvatore found himself praying for the first time in his life, hoping his grandfather had been wrong and there was, in fact, someone up there who could help him step out of the mess around him.

* * *

**Please sorry for any typos, I keep switching the tense of the verbs for some reason and I am unable to spot them until it's too late, so sorry for that!**


	19. Monsters hide in plain sight

So, this is officially my final update of the year. What an intense year it has been! I am so grateful to all of you for your support and love for this story; it truly means the world to me to know you enjoy my work. I hope you all had an amazing time with your loved ones this Christmas and that you have a magical new year. I'm feeling very positive for 2020 and I hope you all do too, I wish every single one of you nothing for the best in this New Year.

Please enjoy this chapter, God knows I enjoyed writing it, forgive for any typos and please let me some of your love in the review section.

Hugs for everyone and happy New Year.

* * *

_"Maybe Cinderella didn't live happily ever after. Maybe, come midnight, she wanted to run away. Maybe her price wouldn't let her. Mine didn't."_

**-J.M Darhower-**

**.**

**.**

Elena was leaning on her side, cream-colored silk sheets were wrapped around her body and her hair was piled messily on top of her head. Her honeyed colored eyes stared at the man sleeping next to her with adoration while one of her fingers moved on its own accord to trace the gruesome scar that marred his otherwise perfect face.

She couldn't remember how many times she had rested in this same position observing him, first as children later as teenagers and now as adults. She had always been fascinated with his features, by how soft and innocent they looked as he lay sleeping and how hard and cold they could become whenever he was awake.

Damon was a riddle and she loved to pull apart the pieces that formed him.

Part of her still couldn't believe she was nestled in his bedsheets, naked as the day she was born. How long had she yearned for him? Longed for his touch and him to finally realize she was the one who would stand behind him through it all, the other girls weren't important, never had been, she was meant to be his entire world.

It frightened her, the intensity of her obsession for him. Damon was constantly reminding her of the monster he was without knowing he was probably letting another monster into his bed because she wasn't entirely sure her interior wasn't as dark as his, she would kill for him surely, without hesitation.

Damon moved in his sleep, his forehead crinkling in a frown at the same time he released an alarming moan, Elena felt his heart speeding up and placed her head down on his chest, her hand finding his and squeezing it softly.

She felt the moment he woke up because his arms went around her, a bruising force keeping her secured to his body "I had a bad dream" His murmured words echoed in the otherwise silent bedroom, his tone low and scared, unlike anything she had ever heard from his lips before.

"It's okay," She said reassuringly at the same time she placed a kiss in his naked chest "It was only a dream"

"Only a dream" He murmured back as he kissed the top of her head "It was only a dream" He repeated before placing his fingers underneath her chin and forcing her face up "You're here" His lips found hers, they moved against each other with laziness as the fog of his dream evaporated.

Elena placed one last kiss on his lips and removed herself from his grasp as she sat up "Want to grab a bite?" She asked after a glance at the bedside clock let know it was well after two am "Eating helps me shake up the fear of bad dreams away"

Damon laughed under his breath as he followed her suit and proceeded to sit in the bed "I thought it was the opposite" He said "But I guess I could use something to eat"

She grinned down at him before slipping out of the bed and putting on his discarded black shirt "Come on, there's leftover pizza in the fridge" She skipped towards the kitchen and heard the rustling sheets as he got up to follow her.

Elena busied herself heating the pizza in the oven and pouring some boxed juice into glass cups "Before I forget…" She heard Damon say as he stepped into the kitchen "…I'll be picking you up at eight tomorrow"

At the reminder of the surprise birthday party, Stefan was hosting for his girlfriend the next day Elena felt all the giddiness and excitement of moments earlier vanish from her body. She stood in front of the oven as she watched the pizza swirl around in it and felt Damon going to stand behind her.

"Len?" He asked at the same time he circled her waist from behind and rested his chin on top of her shoulder.

Despite her current mood Elena couldn't help but lean into his touch, seeking in him the comfort she needed "I still don't see how this is a good idea"

"Why not?"

Her jaw clenched at the nonchalance in Damon's voice "Liz Forbes will be there"

He chuckled behind her and the sound irritated her more than it should "So? It is not like we're doing anything bad, isn't it?"

Elena gritted her teeth before releasing herself from his grasp and spinning around to face him "In fact you are"

Realization dawned on his face once he looked at her expression, her name leaving his lips in a tired sigh "Len…"

Her eyes filled with tears born out of impotency "I hate to see how you are playing that girl" She said accusingly "She's going to get hurt in the end and I don't mean her tender heart"

Even though she had tried her best, it had been almost impossible to stay away from Caroline. The blonde girl was friendly and very pushy, she loved Stefan and wanted to create bonds with his family which was why she took every chance to hang out with them. Despite her wishes Elena had found herself liking the girl, she felt a special fondness of her and it killed her to know the way her step-brothers were playing with her.

Damon stood in front of her in complete silence for a couple of seconds before he took his hand to his disheveled hair and tugged on it as he released a frustrated sigh "Stefan is in love with her" He whispered, Elena's eyes widened at his admission and he laughed back in response to the surprise on her face "Can't you tell? Is in his eyes whenever the girl walks into a room or whenever he speaks about her"

Elena stared at him completely dumbfounded "But it was his ploy…"

"And the puppeteer became the puppet," Damon said with a shrug "He fell in love with her, which makes her the second safest woman in the city"

"I wouldn't be so sure" She answered almost automatically, still trying to comprehend the implications of Stefan falling in love with her and whether she should believe Damon's words, perhaps he was only saying that in a try to appease her "And what do you want to accomplish anyway, why is this party so important?"

Damon released yet another sigh and pulled her into his arms, she went willingly "Liz wants to bring us down but she has nothing but theories, she can't prove our illicit activities. But we can sneak into her life, we already have her little girl around our finger, tomorrow will be a little show, let her see how much Caroline cares about Stefan and how destroyed she would be if anything were to happen to him"

Elena mulled over his words, still not entirely convinced of the success of their plan "Do you think it'll work?" She voiced her thoughts as she allowed her forehead to rest on his naked chest.

Damon remained silent for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and replying to her "Never underestimate the love of a mother for a child" His voice was a mere whisper but was charged with so much meaning that Elena couldn't help but gasp and raise her head to stare at him in complete bewilderment.

"You want Caroline to get pregnant with Stefan's child!"

Damon made a denial movement with his finger "No, no. Stefan wants to put his evil spawn into Caroline"

Elena's mouth opened in outrage, her mind unable to process the implications in Damon's statement "That is…"

Damon's lips tipped up in a sinister smirk "Awful? Completely Machiavellian?" His hand went to rest at the nape of her neck, forcing her face to remain in front of his "It is his insurance, against her leaving him and her mother doing something against us"

Elena tried to swallow to the anxiety lump that had formed in her throat "I often find myself completely disgusted with the evil way your minds works"

It was unbelievable to her sometimes to think that the same boys who had agreed to participate in her tea parties could be as heartless and wicked as they were. She often had to pull apart her step-brothers from who they were in the criminal world but lately, the lines seemed to be blurring and she was finding it so hard to see them as different entities.

Damon chuckled as if what he had shared with her was something out of importance "We learned from the best" He told her and his words were a kick to her stomach because she knew how much her father had influenced who they were now

Sensing her distress, Damon leaned down and kissed her forehead gently "Now please let's put this subject behind, I do have hunger now" Elena gave him her best smile and as they pulled out the food of the oven and helped themselves to some of it she tried to pretend their earlier conversation hadn't happened and they were two normal people sharing an after night meal.

* * *

Caroline's blue eyes brimming with tears and the smile of adoration she gave Stefan when she realized he had been the one to plan her party would be forever etched into Elena's mind; she guessed it would forever remain in Liz Forbes mind if the look on her face had anything to do with it.

Elena had been unable to stop herself from throwing casual looks towards the older woman all night, she could feel the detective buzzing with energy and anger and though she trusted Damon completely, Elena couldn't be sure the other woman wouldn't try anything against the Salvatore, so no matter how many times Damon told her to relax Elena had been on high alert the entire night.

She was on her way to raid the kitchen in search of another red velvet cupcake when she stumbled upon Caroline and her mother arguing, since none of the other women had realized Elena had stepped into the kitchen, the brunette had the good notion of slipping out without being noticed and remain just outside the door to hear what they were arguing about.

"Why can't you be happy for me mom?"

Caroline's voice sounded at the verge of tears and Elena felt an instant pang of pain at the sound of it, she couldn't understand how Damon and Stefan had managed to shut down that part of themselves completely, how they had become so cold to other people's emotions.

"There are more ways of being happy than with a boy"

Liz Forbes voice was steady, clear and with no room for argument and yet underneath all of that stiffness, Elena was able to detect the merest hint of concern, hidden behind all the other layers.

The blonde girl released a frustrated sigh "Oh no, don't lecture me about this again. Just because things didn't work out between you and dad doesn't mean I—"

"It has nothing to do with that!"

The booming voice of the older woman was so startling that even Elena jumped back slightly before throwing a glance around to make sure no one had spotted her eavesdropping.

"Then what?"

Whatever Caroline had seen in her mother's eyes had made her voice soften, affection laced in each of her words and once again Elena felt a pang of pain in her chest but this time for her because most days she could barely remember the way her mother looked like.

"You know what"

Caroline chuckled, amusement shining in her blue eyes "Oh please mother, you know that is nothing but gossip"

Liz Forbes grunted in frustration "It is my job to know those things Caroline" She hissed "Do you take me for a fool?"

"Do you have any evidence on what you are saying?" When the other woman didn't answer, Caroline smiled again and went to wrap her in a hug "No, the Gilberts' and the Salvatores' are running legal and successful business" Caroline parted from her mother and stared at eyes that while not the same color looked the same "Why can't you let this go?"

Feeling sick to her stomach Elena stumbled out of there, a pressure growing in her chest as Caroline's words played on repeat in her head. How many people believed that truth? How many people lived oblivious to the darkness and cruelness that surrounded them every day?

Monsters hide in plain sight, Damon had told her once and never until that moment had Elena understood the true meaning behind those words.

"What has gotten into you?" Damon asked the minute she approached him, he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her into a dark corner where Stefan was leaning casually.

"I heard Caroline and her mother," She said in a strained whisper as she accepted the tumbler filled with amber liquor Damon offered" She was trying to convince her you are not clean"

Damon shrugged nonchalantly but his eyes made a quick scan of the room around them "She can't prove anything"

Stefan's reaction was different, his whole body went rigid as words poured out of his mouth "If she even dares to take her away from me, I'll—"

"Relax Hannibal Lecter," Damon said while giving him a pointed glare and clasping his shoulder in a vice-like grip "Don't ruin our plan because of your insecurities"

"Fuck off Damon!" Stefan's shrugged his brother's hold and drew the attention of a couple of people nearby.

Damon smiled at the people politely while making them clear they should take their conversation to somewhere further away from them. "I mean it Stef, keep it chill" The words were harsh and accompanied by the frost death glare that had earned him so much respect.

Stefan nodded curtly before striding away in another direction, Elena watched him move away with rigid steps and felt angst growing in her chest "I have a bad feeling about this, Damon"

He smiled down at her, not a trace of worry present on his face "Everything will work out" He said before kissing her forehead and hugging her to his side "Now say goodbye to that frown, this is a party!"

After circling and chatting with the guest for a couple of hours Elena finally convinced Damon to call it a night. Truth was that no matter how hard she tried to follow his advice she wasn't able to relax, every time she saw Caroline's in Stefan's eyes she felt a wave of shame and regret going through her.

She was silent on her way back to Damon's apartment and he didn't try to push her, knowing each other for so long allowed him to know each one of her moods and when she wanted to be left alone so he didn't try to speak to her as she washed her teeth and face nor when stripped down to only her panties, but when she slipped into the cool silk sheets, he pulled her to him and made her rest her head on top of his chest.

"I'm sorry" He whispered into the now dark bedroom "For everything"

Elena had a restless night, twitching and moving almost every few minutes. She dreamed of nothing despite her agitated mood and woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a sharp vibrating sound.

It took her eyes a couple of seconds to adjust to the light and her mind to let go of the fog of sleep, she stared down to an impassive Damon who still lay sleeping though the sound was coming from the drawer in his nightstand.

Knowing she shouldn't but being unable to stop her curiosity, Elena leaned over him; surprised he wasn't waking up and opened the drawer of his nightstand. The sound was coming from a small black burner phone she held in her hand, her eyes zooming in the woman's name blinking up on the screen.

_Katherine._

Angry tears welled in her eyes as she stared down at the exchange of messages on the phone, she didn't know who this woman was but there was a clear fondness between her and Damon. Her finger went to the screen to scroll upwards when a hand on her wrist stopped her from doing it so "What in the world—" The words came from the no longer sleeping man next to her "Don't you know curiosity killed the cat, Bonita?"

Elena violently released her wrist from grasp and threw the burner phone at him "Who the fuck is Katherine?"

Damon's nostrils flared, his entire expression shifting "What the fuck are you doing going through my stuff?"

Elena looked down involuntarily, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment "The sound woke me up it wasn't my intention to see it"

Damon's hand grabbed her forcefully by the chin, a storm brewing in his blue eyes as he stared down at her "Oh but you intended to grab it and read it" His face inched closer to her and the expression on his face was so frightening Elena wasn't surprised people pissed themselves at the mere mention of his name "Listen to me very carefully Elena, this is the only time you go through my stuff"

"You are hurting me"

He grabbed her with more force "Are we clear?!"

Any fear Elena could have felt towards him transformed into anger and indignation, she shook away from his hold and went to stand up "Fuck you, Damon!" She threw the words at him before she started moving towards the bedroom door with nothing but her panties on.

"Where the fuck are you going!" Damon shouted from behind her seconds before his hands found her once again, grabbing her by the waist and forcing her to face him.

"Somewhere far away from you!" She shouted at his face as she tried to release herself from his grasp.

His hold on her tightened as he pulled closer until her breasts were smashed against the taut skin of his torso "You are not going anywhere!"

Elena's hands pushed against his chest, a look of bewilderment present on her face "I can do whatever the fuck I want, call Katherine, she might want to keep you company!"

Damon's nostrils flared once again "Don't be childish Elena!" He said before his hand found her right buttock and smacked it with force.

Elena's mouth opened in outrage "You bastard!" She shouted as she kept trashing against him, completely overpowered by his force.

"You are out our your mind if you think I'll let you walk out of here alone at four in the morning" He bit out as he carried her back to the bed, her legs kicking below her in an attempt to hurt him.

"It never bothered you before!"

His eyes darkened "Oh you have no idea, Bonita" He threw her onto the bed as if she were nothing but a mere rag doll, then he proceeded to climb on top of her, his right leg parting hers and moving until his knee was at contact with her center.

"Get off me!" She shouted as she felt him sliding down her underwear "Damon!"

A throaty moan left his lips as his knee made direct contact with the moisture between her legs "You're so wet" He murmured darkly as he dropped his face into her neck "Always so wet for me"

Elena groaned as she felt his knee moving against her and his tongue lapping at the skin of her neck "Let me go" She murmured half-heartedly as her hands went to his hair, pulling him towards her instead of pushing him away.

Damon's hand moved away from her neck until his face hovered above hers "Never" He whispered kindly, his face void of the anger and harshness it held minutes earlier.

Elena felt a lump in her throat as she stared up at him "Who is she?" She asked, her voice breaking down and making him wince in pain.

"She is no one"

Elena bit her lip "Are you fucking her? Have you fucked her?"

He dropped his forehead into hers "Never" his breath caressed her face as he answered.

"Have you fucked anyone since we started—"

"No, nor I wish to" He answered truthfully, his thumb resting above her bottom lip as he caressed it "You're all I need, all mine…"

Elena's eyes bore down on him, two burning chocolate pools seething into his very soul "I will castrate you" She vowed "If you ever dare to cheat on me Damon, I swear to god I will cut off your gorgeous cock"

He released a throaty laugh "Good to know" His hand moved away from her face and painted a path between her breasts "Mi pequeña fiera, no sabes como me excitas" He whispered against her mouth as his fingers dipped between her legs "I know to never cross you, baby girl, never"

Elena's eyes closed in pleasure at the feel of his touch "I love you, I love you so much" She murmured

Damon allowed his head to fall to the place between her neck and shoulder as his hands kept working her "I'll tell you all about it when the time comes" He promised as he speeded up his tempo.

Elena's toes curled as the building pleasure inside her "I'm blinding trusting you Damon" The words were lost in the same way her hands got lost in his soft hair, her mind disconnecting from her body as the pleasure started overwhelming her.

"I know" He whispered against her skin "I know"


	20. Born to die

**Happy New Year!**

**And so sorry it took me this long to update, I promise I'll try to get my updates quicker this year.**

**I apologize for any typos, please enjoy! **

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"Come and take a walk on the wild side  
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain  
You like your girls insane  
Choose your last words  
This is the last time  
'Cause you and I, we were born to die"

**-Born to die-**

**.**

**.**

Elena's arm was linked through her best friend's as they walked the length of the fifth avenue, not stopping to buy anything but marveling themselves at the beauty in each showcase like they had been doing ever since they were teenagers idolizing Carrie Bradshaw.

Best friends since childhood Bonnie and Elena had been together through the hardest and happiest moments of their life, and though they didn't see each other as often as before, as a result, one of them studying abroad, whenever they were together again it was as if time hadn't passed at all.

"I am still in awe that after all this time you are finally doing your brother," Bonnie said earning herself a pinch in the arm and wide eyes aimed at her direction.

"Bonnie eeww, don't say it like that" Elena's nose scrunched as the words swirled around in her head. Though always her hero, Elena had never seen Damon as her brother, he had always been more to her.

The shorter girl laughed under her breath "I'm joking; I just think it's kind of weird"

"Judgy much?"

Bonnie chuckled and rested her head against Elena's arm "You know I love you"

Elena breathed in her best friend's familiar perfume and released a content sigh "Oh I've missed you" She said as she squeezed the other girl's arm tightly "Don't you leave again please"

Bonnie exhaled loudly as she threw her head back and smiled "Sorry girl, the Spanish sun awaits for me soon"

"Spoilsport"

The two girls burst into laughter, so wrapped up in each other that they almost didn't realize they were about to bump against another girl and her several shopping bags.

"Elena?" The girl said as their eyes met "Hi, how are you?"

Elena smiled as she stared at the already familiar face of the blonde girl in front of her "Caroline, hey. This is my friend Bonnie, Bon this is Caroline, Stefan's girlfriend"

The two girls exchanged a friendly handshake while Elena helped the blonde girl balance the bags in her hand, the brunette couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips at the sight of Caroline's shopping, the girl was a walking talking cliché and Elena couldn't help being amused by her.

"I've heard so much about you," Bonnie said as she stared into the other girl's blue eyes. Knowing the Salvatore family as she did, she still couldn't believe Stefan had decided to get serious with someone who wasn't Valerie, the girl he had been in love with since he was only a child.

The blonde's eyes lit up with excitement "You have? That is great!"

Not knowing how, the blonde ended up joining their little excursion, though she did force them to go inside almost every store they passed, Elena found herself having more fun than she remembered. It had been a long time since she had a full day of girl time. People at school didn't like her that much so she was mostly a loner, for this reason, to have the chance to unload a bit of her burden with friends again was a breath of fresh air.

Once they tired themselves with their excursion they decided to stop at a small pizza place and stuff their faces with .99 cents slices of delicious cheesy pizza before parting ways with the promise of brunch sometime in the week.

As Enzo drove them back to Bonnie's hotel Elena couldn't help the sadness to invade her, she rested her head against the cold windowpane and watched the streets pass them by.

"You're quiet," Bonnie said in a whisper as she reached to squeeze her hand.

Elena released a tiring sigh as her attention went to her best friend "I like her"

"Caroline?"

Elena nodded, unable to stop the way her eyes glimmered with unshed tears "She is so bubbly and happy all the time, it's impossible not to like her"

Realization dawned on Bonnie, her face blanching as she squeezed Elena's hand tightly "She is not Stefan's girlfriend by coincidence, right?"

"No, she isn't"

"Damn"

Elena moved closer to her friend and proceeded to rest her head on her shoulder "Sometimes I really hate this life Bon" She whispered low enough that Enzo wouldn't be able to catch her words "I just wish things could be different"

Her friend exhaled deeply before placing a gentle kiss to the crown of her head "I'm sorry Len, I truly do"

Elena closed her eyes and let herself be lulled to sleep by the movement of the car, her day had been a good one but as the night settled around her, she couldn't help but think in how all good things went bad and a fear started invading her that the bad was just waiting for her around the corner.

* * *

She was quiet as she sat in the back of the Uber, her eyes lost in the trees passing by as they neared her childhood home; tired of feeling like a prisoner, Elena had managed to escape Enzo's watchful gaze and headed to see her father to tell him she wanted to get a job and for him to stop paying her tuition. Damon had been right, it was hypocritical of her to detest what they did for a living and continue benefiting of it, she wanted none of that.

Elena had been excited when the idea came up after her day out with Caroline and Bonnie, but that same night Damon had come back home with a black bag filled with his bloodied clothes and with more than just a couple of bruises on his face.

She had submerged his clothes in a bucket filled with a weird substance he used to remove the stains and had sat on the bathroom counter to patch him up and care for his bruises like she had done so many times in the past. He had been silent the entire time, darkness unlike anything she had seen before had turned his once bright blue eyes into black stones, she hated to see that look on his face like he was someone else and not the man she had fallen in love with.

All the excitement of her earlier news vanished with the realization that no matter how hard she tried she could never escape that life, not if she wanted Damon to be part of hers. He was rooted in that world, his soul so stained she feared there was nothing left to salvage.

He curled around her that night, his head resting on her chest as her fingers played idly with his hair, he went to sleep before here but had a restless night, whimpering and twitching every once in a while. Elena ached for him, ached for the torment that haunted him and refused to let him go.

The car getting to a halt made her come back to the present, she took a deep breath and exited the car before thanking the driver. Her mind was so lost in dark thoughts that she almost missed the vintage blue Camaro that was leaving the entrance, her brows furrowed as she watched him go, completely unaware she was standing a few feet him from him.

With the frown still present on her forehead, she continued her walk towards the house and after a quick greeting to the staff in the kitchen, she headed in direction of her father's office.

She found the door ajar and when she opened she spotted him sitting behind his huge mahogany desk, a troubled look on his face which quickly transformed to surprise when he saw her standing at the door.

"What is going on?" Elena asked with a bit of trepidation as she stepped into the room.

"Sit down," He said in a hard voice as he motioned towards the chair in front of his desk, long gone was the look of surprise in his face.

"Is something wrong?" Elena asked as she did as instructed.

John Gilbert leaned back in his chair, his hands folded over his stomach as he drilled his daughter with a stare she hadn't seen in his face since the time she poured tomato soup in her dress in one of his dinner parties when she was twelve.

"I know"

The words echoed in the wide room, Elena felt her stomach sinking at the accusation in his voice. She took her trembling hands to her legs and fisted the fabric of her jeans in it "Know what?" She asked while she tried to sound as casual as she could.

"About you and Damon"

Elena knew it was coming and yet she couldn't help her face from blanching and her heart rate speeding up at hearing the actual words leaving her father's mouth, a nervous laugh erupted from her mouth and ended as sudden as it had come when she saw the stern look on John's face "Okay, this isn't awkward at all" She closed her eyes in an attempt to gather her bearings and explain her father that what she and Damon had was special, but when she opened them she found a manila envelope in front of her "What is this?"

"Open it"

Elena gave him a quizzical look but reached for the folder anyway. Her fingers peeling back the top gently before extracting the content from inside "God…" Shaky hands dropped the pictures into the dark wood desk "I don't understand—"

"He just delivered them to me minutes before you walked inside"

Elena's eyes filled with tears as she remembered Damon's car speeding out of the driveway "Why?" She asked while her attention was focused on the images in front of her, the crudeness of watching Damon pounding into her from behind in his apartment, the place that was meant to be a haven for them.

John made a disgruntled noise before looking at her with pity "Oh Elena, you've always been too good for your safety" He said "Damon is just using you to get to me"

Elena's eyes left the pictures and moved up to find her father's gaze "Get to you?"

"He means to overthrown me" John spoke harshly "He wants my place as the head of the family"

"No, he doesn't"

John rolled his eyes at her, a clear dismissal of her words before standing up and heading towards the window, arms crossed behind his back as his gaze settled in the yard extending outside the window "The fool believes that having you on his side will smooth things out for him" A dark bitter chuckle slipped past his lips "He wants to pit us against each other"

Elena shook her head vehemently "You're wrong"

"Ask him then" John turned around to face her and once gave her that pitiful look Elena hated so much "Ask him if my downfall isn't his main goal"

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she stared at her father "But you— you've raised him"

"And the dog has bitten his master's hand" John sighed and walked to her, his hands finding her hair and caressing it in a way he hadn't done since she was little and her mother was still alive "I'm so sorry you got caught me in the middle of this, darling. I never meant for this to happen, I could see how attached you were getting to him, which was why I was adamant he went to Italy back then, but I never thought he would do something like this"

"But why?"

Elena felt the urge to cry her heart out, to allow her father to console her like he once had done when she was little but there was something inside her that didn't feel right, that didn't allow her to be that vulnerable with him again.

She pulled away from him and stood up, her hands going to the pictures in the table and tearing them up.

"Damon has the foolish notion that I had something to do with his father's death and this is some kind of vendetta" John kept speaking even while she ripped away the paper with a mad force, the words jarring to Elena's ears "As if! that poor man killed himself, we all know that"

Elena looked at the torn pictures in front of her for a second before her attention went to her father, who was now looking at her quietly, something dark hidden behind his clear eyes "I— I need to go" She said, suddenly feeling the need to go as far away as she could from that place.

John gave her a cold smile, so unusual in him that it chilled Elena to the bone "Why don't you stay the night? We can have dinner together like we did when you were little"

She shook her head as she started backing away from him "I don't think— I need to be alone"

He sighed tiredly, his hands going to rest inside the pockets of his pants "All right then, I am just one call away if you need anything. You'll always be my little girl, Lainey. Don't you forget that" Elena gave him one last look and turned around, her body at the threshold when she heard the words behind her "The Salvatores only care for themselves, chose your allies rightly"

She rushed out of the house in a haze, her fingers searching her Uber app and her feet carrying her out of the propriety, but it was as if she wasn't aware of it. Her mind kept going back to the pictures, to the betrayal burning in her stomach, to the doubt spreading in her chest and to the incessant fear that was crawling underneath her skin.

Elena stepped outside the car and into biting New York night air without remembering anything of her trip back to the apartment building, she said goodbye to the driver who had the good sense of remaining quite the entire journey and proceeded into the building where she knew he would be waiting for her if the twenty missed calls were an indication.

She stood in front of the stark white door to the apartment and took a deep breath before finding the keys and putting them in the lock; she stepped into the apartment as if in some kind of trance; her body was doing the movements but her mind still hadn't caught up with her, it was lost somewhere else, in the scattered pictures on top of her father's desk.

The minute the door clicked behind her she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the foyer "Where the fuck have you been?" Damon's harsh words reached her ears even before he arrived in front of her "Enzo has been searching for you everywhere" He only took a minute to glance at her before motioning for her to go into the hallway that led to the bedroom "Pack your bags, we are leaving"

The words were delivered seconds before he turned around and headed back to the living room. Elena's brows furrowed, her brain stepped out of that hazy fog that had surrounded it "Leaving?"

She followed Damon into the living room and found him in front of his coffee table, an open case with several guns open on top of it "Something big is coming and I need you safe when it happens" He murmured the words without sparing her another glance, his hands busy with the devices in front of him.

"So you can kill my father?"

An eerie silence followed her words, the temperature dropping to the point Elena felt the hairs at the back of her neck standing up. Damon's jaw clenched as he inhaled deeply through his nose, Elena went to move a step closer but flinched back when his head swiveled abruptly towards her.

"What are you talking about?"

Elena stared at him, at the man she had worshiped her entire life and couldn't phantom the idea of her father's words being true, but there was a nagging doubt eating up at her, demanding answers for once in her life.

"I know everything"

Damon laughed, a dark bitter sound that send shivers down her spine "I highly doubt that's the case" His words were harsh and cold as he moved towards her.

Elena raised a hand in front of herself in an attempt to stop him from getting closer "You can't use me against him! This is all some sort of revenge plot"

Damon's nostrils flared, his eyes burning bright and dangerous "Son of a bitch" He said through clenched teeth "You know me better than that Len"

Elena felt a stab in her chest at the words he spoke. Her mind was in a complete battle against her heart, she knew deep inside that Damon cared about her, but her father was her father, why would he choose to hurt her?

"Do I? I know Damon of course, at least I think I do" The words left her mouth before she could stop herself "But I don't La Parca, not really"

Damon's stance changed completely, and at that moment Elena realized that she had never seen the true monster he was, not really. Because he was in front of her now and it was nothing she had seen before "So this is how is going to be" The words were hollow, cold and made something break inside her "Took you very little to turn against me, bonita"

"What do you want me to think?!" Elena cried out as she took her hands to her hair and pulled in despair, her legs wobbled as she stumbled back.

He craned his neck from side to side while a dark shadow crossed his features "Right now, I don't want you to think anything. I just want you to pack a bloody bag!"

Elena reared back at the venous quality in his voice, her body heaving with fear of him for the first time in her life. She wiped the tears that had slipped from her eyes and raised her chin in his direction "I won't do as you say! You have no right to boss me around" No matter how truly afraid she might be, she couldn't give him the chance to see it and use it against her.

"The fuck I don't, get in the room and pack a bloody bag!"

She shook her head "I won't go anywhere with you!" She gave him one last look and felt her soul-crushing even more because she couldn't recognize the man who was standing in front of her "I'm going back home, and I mean my apartment" She turned around to get to the door but had moved only two steps before she felt his strong arms holding her from behind.

"No, you won't" He whispered into her ear before she felt one of his hands moving towards her face.

"What in the—" The words died in her mouth as he pressed a damp cloth to her mouth, Elena fought him for a couple of seconds before everything started turning hazy around her, the feel of his strong arms and his lips on her forehead were the last thing she was aware of before the darkness took her in completely.


	21. Predator and Prey

**Okay, I know this is short but I wanted to leave all the excitement for the next chapter, which I promise will be longer and will be here sooner than you think. Thanks for sticking out with me still, hope you enjoy this!**

* * *

"_We look at each other-predator and prey, the conqueror and the conquered-and in that moment, I feel an odd sort of connection to him. Like a part of myself is forever altered by what's happening between us."_

_**-Anna Zaires-**_

_**.**_

_The floor was cold beneath her bare feet. _

_An icy feeling had started crawling up her legs and was making her teeth clatter against each other; her Minnie Mouse nightgown brushed her calves as she walked towards the sound that had woken her up._

_The house was empty except for her and her step-brothers since their parents had left the day before to celebrate their anniversary in the Bahamas. She was nine and it was the first time they allowed her to stay with only the supervision of Damon and Stefan. _

_Her friend Bonnie had come over and they had watched movies all night while stuffing their faces with pizza and candies, something that Damon had rarely approved of. They had fallen into a deep sleep until Elena woke up to a strange sound that proceeded from the basement, fear had crawled up her spine but she was never one to back down._

_She slipped out of her covers and tiptoed her way to the floor below, careful not to alert Damon she was on her way because there was no doubt in her mind he was down there doing bad things. _

_Damon was always doing bad things._

_Elena flinched back as a pitiful cry penetrated her ears, her body froze as her eyes widened in direction of the basement. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and placed one shaky hand in the doorknob of the basement door, another cry made her close her eyes and mutter a quick prayer before yanking open the door._

Her eyes opened with a startled gasp, her blood was racing as the foggy memory of the dream vanished; she could taste the fear in her mouth as she tried to settle into the present and almost wished she hadn't woken up. She couldn't remember something aching as badly as her head did at that moment. She was aware of the angry throbbing at her temple and the achiness of her limbs, the floor beneath her seemed to be on the move and a chilly wind made her bones shiver with cold.

Elena groaned as she tried to sit up only to realize her hands and legs were tied up with steel chains and that the moving floor beneath her was nothing else but the bottom of a moving truck.

"Son of a bitch" Elena muttered under her breath as she pulled against the strings that were binding her, the rattling noise reverberated through the enclosed space "Get me out of here! Damon! I swear to God I will kill you!"

The terror the dream had left in her vanished as a rage unlike never before took its place. She released another useless frustrated cry before stopping her trashing; she took a deep breath and tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness that was surrounding her. She struggled to see anything beyond her own feet but could sense she wasn't alone in the moving truck.

"Who are you?" She asked without any response. She sighed in frustration and slumped back against the cold metal of the truck.

Angry tears welled up in her eyes as she thought back to her last encounter with Damon, he had knocked her out cold after she confronted him about their relationship being nothing but a ruse to get back at her father, making her realize that the older man had been right about one thing, Damon didn't love her, never had.

Fury overwhelmed her body and made her release another angry cry "You bastard, get me out of here!" Her chains rattled and the sound mixed with her voice in a cacophony of rage.

"Please stop" The small whimpering voice made Elena stop the movement of her legs and take her attention to her left from where the voice had come from "You'll only get him angrier" The voice spoke again and realization was like cold water drenching into Elena's veins.

"Caroline?" Her words were whispered as she struggled to move closer to the girl, her eyes squinting until she could see the silhouette of the blonde girl hunched in the corner of the van "What are you doing here?"

The other woman sniffled before moving closer to her "I was a fool. My mother was always right"

Elena felt a pang of empathy for the girl as she recalled the conversation she had overheard the night of her birthday party, it was funny to think that she had felt so bad for Caroline at the moment without realizing she was being played in the same way the blonde girl had been.

"Who brought you here?"

"Stefan" Caroline's voice wobbled as the name of her lover came out of her lips "I was leaving work and I bumped into an old friend of my mother… next thing I know Stefan is shooting him and then—he put a syringe to my neck" The blonde's voice broke down as she released a strangled sob "I woke up here, cold and alone… then I saw them bringing you too"

"Bastards"

Elena wanted nothing more than to reach out to the blonde girl and give her a comforting hug. Being born in the middle of a criminal family meant Elena was no stranger to the cold ways the world worked, Damon had made sure she was aware of the rawest and ugliest parts of the world since she was nothing but a child but Caroline hadn't, despite her mother being one of the fiercest detectives in the city, the blonde girl had been nothing but sheltered her entire life, Elena felt sorry for her and wanted nothing more than to lock her inside that pink bubble she had lived her entire life.

"Are they going to kill us?"

Elena wanted to say no but to this point, she had no idea what Damon's plan was so she decided it was best to stay quiet, she didn't want to give the other girl false hope when there was a big chance they might end up drained in one of Damon's old warehouses.

"Why are they doing this to us?"

Elena bit her lip and hated the fact that once again she had no answer for the other girl. A stab of pain hit her in the chest as she thought back to nights before, curled around Damon's body in his large bed as the night settled around them.

Was he planning this from the beginning?

As she rested in his bed, bared to him in every way had he been plotting her demise? Was anything he ever said true? Facts were hitting her straight in the face but a foolish part of her refused to believe everything between them had been a lie, refused to believe his eyes had been lying to her as he hovered above her and told her he loved her.

Jarring her out of her thoughts and saving her from another unanswered question the van seemed to stop and the sound of stomping boots reached her eyes. Elena scrambled to a kneeling position as she heard Caroline quietly crying behind her.

"Please don't make him mad"

The back door opened and the face that had tormented many appeared before her, La Parca, they called him and the coldness in his eyes made something drop in Elena's stomach.

Yet, she didn't allow him to see the fear that had chilled her blood. She steeled her spine and snarled at him "Get me out of here!" Her voice bounced on the metal walls of the van and drowned Caroline's cries.

Damon raised an eyebrow in her direction "How brave of you to speak of me that way" His arms were crossed over his chest as one of his shoulders rested against the open door of the van.

Anger crawled up Elena's spine at the nonchalance in his attitude "You disgusting monster!"

His nostrils flared and in a sudden move he climbed into the van "Watch it, Bonita"

Caroline's cries raised in volume "Please Elena, stop it"

"Listen to your pretty friend here"

Damon moved closer to her then, his hands working the binds around her wrists as she drilled at him with her eyes "How could you do this to me, Damon?" She said in a barely audible whisper, showing him all the weakness she had wanted to hide.

Damon's stormy blue eyes stared at her, a vein popping in his jaw "You think you know everything Elena, but you don't know shit!" Something in his expression allowed Elena to see the Damon she knew but it was gone as quick as it came "You never have"

He yanked at her arms with force, lifting her body and prisoning her between his strong arms "What are you doing?" She shouted as he started dragging her towards the open door.

"Please!"

Caroline was full on crying now, her shrieks were making Damon impatient so after climbing out he instructed someone Elena couldn't see to shut down the door, leaving Caroline in complete darkness once again "Don't worry princess, we'll deal with you too" He shouted at the crying girl locked inside.

Elena trashed against him, her hands balled in fists hit him at the sides "Let me go!" She cried before he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulders "Ugh, you idiot! Put me down!"

Damon chuckled before doing just what she asked and dropping her body into the ground without an ounce of finesse, Elena cried out as her butt hit the dusty ground below her. Her eyes finally took a look at her surroundings and discovered she was surrounded by miles of woods, panic rose in her throat at the knowledge that it would be almost impossible to escape.

As if sensing her distress Damon kneeled and grabbed her by the chin "Let's get this straight, you are not in charge in here I am" He snarled at her face "You shut your mouth and do as I say or you'll get a visit from my friend" Elena's eyes widened at the sight of the long syringe he pulled out from his leather jacket.

Her eyes filled with tears "I hate you"

In the briefest of seconds, Elena was assaulted with memories of her time with Damon over the years, of every kiss and caress, of every time he protected her from the monsters of the night and was overwhelmed by an immense feeling of sadness at the predicament they were currently at.

Damon released a shaky breath before taking one of his hands towards her face and caressing her cheek with a tenderness that startled her "I know you hate me" He whispered, his voice losing all the bite that had been present before "But it'll all be worth it in the end"

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared up at him "I will never forgive you for this"

Damon sighed sadly "That's the thing, Len. I don't need your forgiveness" His lips found hers in a forceful kiss, her mind turned into a jumbled mess as she felt his tongue invading her mouth. She wanted to be immune to it but her yearning for him was stronger than her fear and anger, she melted into his arms and allowed him to overpower her once again.

She allowed his hands to wander towards her chest and massage her breasts through the thin material of her clothes. She felt his erection pressing into her as the feverish feeling between them intensified, she let herself succumb to him like she had done so many times in the past.

Only this time there was much more at stake, she only came back to her senses when she felt the prickling sensation of the needle in her neck, she pulled away from his kiss to stare into his pained eyes.

"What—you said…" Her murmur got lost as the darkness swallowed her whole.

Her body went limp against him, his lips pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before he took her in his arms and disappeared in the immensity of the woods.


	22. All through the night

Hello there! Told you this was coming sooner than you expected, in this chapter we touch a very sensitive subject and one of the most disgusting sides of the criminal world, like I mentioned before I do not condone violence at all and daily I am baffled at the atrocious acts that are committed around the world, so please take this as nothing but fiction and not for a second think that I support this behavior at all.

Now please forgive me for the typos and please enjoy!

* * *

_"We have no past we won't reach back_  
_Keep with me forward all through the night_  
_And once we start the meter clicks_  
_And it goes running all through the night_  
_Until it ends there is no end"_

** -All through the night-**

**.**

**.**

Darkness and light were always main characters in her story, she learned about them since she was a little girl. They became her companion in the long nights following her mother sickness when her father had drowned in alcohol and her nanny had stayed with her until midnight eating chocolate cake, and they were her enemies when Damon Salvatore showed up in her life and made everything better only by having it torn apart after her father took him under his wing.

Elena Gilbert was no stranger to darkness or light, she had learned to embrace them both equally to the point she did not know which one she preferred. She had learned to love them in the way she had learned to love Damon, accepting the good and the bad.

So as the world came into focus and her senses were overwhelmed by the strong smell of disinfectant, Elena found herself clinging to them both, the darkness that Damon betrayal had left in her and the light that the foolish hope managed to sneak into her heart.

"Elena?" A scared trembling voice reached her ears as she forced her eyes to remain open, the prickling sensation in her neck turning stronger as the seconds passed "Are you awake?"

"Where am I?" She managed to croak out although her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton, a throbbing pain burned in her temple as the cold floor beneath her managed to freeze her entire limbs.

"I don't know," The voice said before releasing a small sob "I woke up here just like you but I don't— I want to go home" The person next to her started sobbing, the sound so pitiful it made Elena groan in protest.

It took her a minute to realize the crying came from Caroline, the blonde girl who had been foolish enough to fall under Stefan Salvatore's spell, as foolish as herself she thought bitterly.

With what felt like an inhuman strength Elena managed to move her body into a seating position; her short hair fell tangled and greasy around her face, her clothes were sticky with sweat and her shoes were long gone, leaving her only in her star printed baby blue socks. A hysterical laugh left her lips as she stared at the innocence of her socks in such contrast to the colorless floor she was resting in.

Elena did her best to block out Caroline's cries and instead tried to absorb everything around her. She knew they were in one of the Salvatore's warehouses for the likes of it but couldn't figure out which one, she knew almost all of them with Damon liking to take her to witness his atrocious acts but she was certain she had never been in this one before.

"How long you've been awake?" Elena asked Caroline as she spared a glance in her direction. Frightened blue eyes stared back at her, the sobs stopped and her lower lip trembled in a way that reminded Elena so much of a child.

"I don't know" The other girl answered "An hour maybe, it's hard to tell"

Elena could see the blonde was about to go on another episode of hysterical crying so she tried to lift her arms towards her only to realize her hands were chained to the floor. How didn't she realize it until now? She thought briefly before murmuring a curse.

Emotion like she never experienced before crawled up her throat when the thought hit her that it had been Damon who had chained her to the floor like she was nothing but an animal. The same Damon who had snuck into her bedroom to read her Hansel & Gretel one more time before bed despite the fact their parents had forbidden him from doing it so.

A weight pressed down her chest as she looked around the seedy warehouse her lover had brought her to, anger and sorrow swirled inside her as she tried to keep her tears at bay. She was a Gilbert; she didn't have the luxury of breaking down so easily.

As if the mere act of thinking about him was enough to conjure him, the heavy iron door at the other end of the room parted and Damon strode in. Dark jeans and a t-shirt graced his body as he moved elegantly towards them, his stance was so nonchalant that realization hit Elena that what they said about him was the truth.

He was a man with no heart.

The left corner of his lips twisted in a very familiar crooked grin, blue steely eyes boring down on her as he approached "Look who decided to wake up" His tone was the one of mockery, a hunter taunting on its prey. Elena pursed her lips tightly and refused to stare at him.

He made an amused sound before crunching down in front of her "Is the silent treatment now, huh?" Elena could feel Caroline started to shake next to her, affected by Damon's proximity "Where did all the fight go?" He taunted her again, his hand going to her chin and forcing her to stare at him "Did the needle end it all?" At that Elena felt the vile rising into her throat and couldn't stop herself from spitting at him, she heard Caroline's cry next to her but wasn't able to move her eyes away from Damon, who was now smiling smugly as he wiped the spit out of his face "Oh there she is, my warrior princess"

"You make me sick"

His amused expression suddenly turned somber "I can imagine" Something in the tone of his voice made her stomach drop so when he leaned towards her once again she could do nothing but cower back "If you only knew the things that make me sick Elena" Not being able to hold his eyes and to witness all the darkness that swirled in them Elena closed her own, wanting to shut him and everything else out but he would have none of that.

Damon's hands went to unbind the chains around her hands and before she knew it she was being dragged to her feet, her calves almost giving up after being in the same position for so long.

He secured his arm around her waist, her body curving around his "Where are you taking me?" She asked in panic as he started moving with her towards the door he had come from earlier. The cold steel of his gun was pressed against the thin material of her blouse and made her body shiver in fright.

"To the truth"

His words were hollow and cold, fear took hold of her body and in an uncommon bout of adrenaline, Elena managed to release herself from his grasp and grab the gun secured at his waist.

He had trained her to do so, after all.

Caroline screamed behind her but Elena did not take notice, her attention was focused only on the man in front of her, the man whose eyes shone with something akin to triumph, confusing her more than she already was.

"Will you look at that?" He said simply "This is an interesting turn of events"

The metal in her hands weighted more than she expected it to, her limbs trembling as she pointed the gun at the same man who had thought her how to use it. "Release her," She said motioning to Caroline who was now silently crying as she watched the exchange between them.

Damon breathed deeply before crossing his arms over his chest "Not happening"

"Set her free or I swear to God I will shoot you"

"Go ahead, do it"

"Damon, I swear—"

His barking laugh interrupted her words "You swear what? You don't have it in you" His words filled her ears as he moved closer, unworried in the face of danger.

She refused to back down and instead raised the gun higher "You don't know me"

"Maybe I don't," He said with a shrug, his body mere centimeters from hers now "Shoot now Len, I thought you how" His body went to stand right in front of the gun, the cold material of the barrel making contact with his forehead "Do it!"

The gun was raised against his temple. Her brown eyes stared down at him and somewhere in her mind, she tried to reconcile the man before her with the boy who had held her hand in that church so many years ago.

How had their story come to such an abrupt ending?

"Tell me it was a lie" Her whisper resounded in the solitude of the warehouse. An echoing voice asking for something more than words, pleading for hope where it didn't seem to be any "Tell me he was only lying to me"

"What I say is not of importance"

Elena pressed the gun more firmly into his temple "Tell me you love me!" She demanded, the sob that had been obstructing her throat since she first woke up in the van managed to break free "You promised me, you said you were going to protect me!" She shrieked hysterically "Tell me it was the truth, tell me you did love me"

Something in his eyes softened but it disappeared as suddenly as it had come "Regardless of what I tell you, I still deserve that bullet" Elena felt something break inside her as a sad smile drew itself into his face "But even if you kill me, you'll never be rid of me"

She released a cry and dropped the gun into the floor as the sound of another weapon being fired up overwhelmed her ears.

"That is enough!" The voice and the gunfire came from the other Salvatore brother who now strode into the room with a feral look in his face, his eyes zeroing into the blonde girl at the far end of the room.

Elena's body slumped forward, Damon's arms catching her immediately "Shh baby girl, I got you" He whispered into her hair as she buried her face into his neck, seeking solace in the one person who knew how to give it to her.

She felt Stefan moving past them and heard Caroline's cries increase but did not dare to pull away from Damon, she needed him and something inside told her the blonde was in no true danger.

In a sudden movement, Damon's arms hooked below her knees as he swept her off her feet "I always got you" He whispered before kissing her forehead and moving towards the heavy door once again.

She buried her face in his neck, overwhelming herself with his smell and the tranquility that only he could bring her "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" She thought she heard him say but couldn't have been sure because exhaustion took hold her.

* * *

The first thing she was aware of was the softness of the surface below her, a stark contrast with the cold floor she had woken in early on, then she scented the oranges in the air, product of the oil diffuser plugged in across the room and by last she sensed the stare of someone fixed on her.

In an attempt to show some restrain after her early episode, Elena buried her face in the clean-smelling pillow and refused to acknowledge the presence of the man in the room.

"I know you're awake," His voice said, followed by a carefree chuckle that made something quiver in her belly.

Stubborn as always, Elena scrunched her eyes tightly and moved the blanket she was wrapped in until it rested below her chin "I would like to tell you a story" He continued, ignoring her futile attempt at indifference "I understand your reluctance"

The bed dipped next to her and her eyes flew open immediately, startled that she hadn't heard him move, but then again Damon had always been a sneaky bastard.

His blue eyes stared down at her from where he sat next to her body, one of his hands moved to cup her cheek gently, his thumb tracing circles around her cheek "I didn't bring you here by force because I enjoyed it Elena" He said and his words were enough to make Elena pull away from him.

She sat upright in a matter of seconds, her back against the headboard and her knees resting against her chest in an attempt to put some distance between them "It seemed to me you did" She said bitterly.

Damon sighed impatiently, the storm behind his eyes wanting to break loose "The blonde needed to be truly frightened if we wanted her to do as we asked" He replied "And I had to do it because you were in danger"

Not wanting to dwell much on everything wrong in his statement, Elena chose to focus on the last part "Danger from what?"

The knowing look he gave her made something in her stomach drop "I think you know" A half-smile appeared on his lips as his eyes seemed to get lost somewhere else "I was twelve when I met her. John had been taking me everywhere by that time, letting me soak myself further into the business, grooming me to one day take over the business he was so proud of" A mirthless laugh was released from his mouth "She was this scrawny little girl, nine years at the time, almost your age. And the place I met her is one I've tried so hard to forget"

Something crossed his features then, darkness so hollow it eclipsed every trace of light from his face. He looked older than he was; weary and rotten in ways Elena couldn't have explained. The look in his face then scared her more than anything she had seen before because it was utterly and filled with despair.

"She asked for my help, cried and begged me to take her away," He said and his voice seemed to quiver in a way it hadn't done ever before "I didn't know what to do, I never had seen such a side of the business, I didn't think that—"Damon's hand went at the top of his jeans, his palms rubbing against them as he somehow wanted to remove some kind of stain. Elena had to suppress to urge to reach out and claps his hands in hers.

"I could hear people coming and she urged me to hide—I locked myself inside a nasty old closet" He closed his eyes then, his body heaved with the force of the emotion behind his words "I couldn't see anything but I could hear every single thing they did to her…their laughs, they haunt me even to this day"

Realization dawned on Elena and she had to supreme the urge to throw up, vile and fear crawled up her throat, almost blocking the air that flooded her lungs "Stop, please…" She pleaded with him, wanting him to protect her from the darkness that surrounded his world.

Not listening to her words Damon continued with his story, his eyes opened and found hers and it was as if he was once again that twelve-year-old boy hiding in a closet "I froze, I stayed frozen. Rooted in my spot instead of stepping out and helping her"

"You were a child" Elena murmured, horrified at the notion of Damon witnessing such a cruel act at such a young age.

"He was there, your father. That was his side business at the time; he made the tapes and sold them at the highest bidder" His words were drenched in hatred and disgust, a muscle in his jaw trembling as he recounted the events of that day "It would surprise you how truly depraved people is. I learn of it that day"

Tears had started falling down Elena's cheek by then, she had always been aware of the darkness but even darkness has shades and it seemed she never get to know the blackest one.

"What happened afterward?"

"I helped her escape," He said and then released a humorless laugh "Perhaps they let me escape," He said "Once they were done with her, I— I don't know how but I got her out of there and took her to the only place I could think of, Zack. He and his wife happened to be visiting" He made a pause, enough to reach out for her hand which she let him grab without an ounce of restrain "We are criminals Len, the Salvatore men but we never—never to such extent" He stared straight at her as he spoke, wanting her to understand not everything was dead inside him "Zach's wife, her heart broke when she saw her and—they hadn't been able to have children so they took her. Her name was Katerina"

"Katherine"

"That is who she is now"

"Did my—father knew?"

"Of course he did, though he pretended not to for so long," He said bitterly "Until the summer I turned eighteen and he forced me to go to Italy"

Her brows furrowed "Forced you?"

"He had something in his power that was very valuable to me" His words were accompanied by a sad smile "He threatened to break it"

Irrational anger took hold of her body as she yanked her hand free of his "But you left me!" Her accusatory stared drilled at him "You knew he was a monster and you left me alone with him!"

Damon shook his head vehemently before reaching to her once again, his hands cupping her face and bringing her forehead down to his "No Bonita, you were never alone" He said "Stefan was also in the clear about what happened; Luke, the friend you met at summer camp; Jo, your high school social worker who always looked after you and Ric, your favorite college teacher. They have all been taking care of you all this time"

It was as if her life flashed before her eyes; all of those connections came rushing back to her. Random situations that weren't at all, moments of her life that seemed guided only fate had been directed by him, her entire life had been a puppeteer show and Damon had been the master "Oh my God…" A sickening feeling started growing in her belly because instead of feeling repulsed by his involvement in her life she felt relieved, relieved because he had always been there for her one way or another.

_What did that say about her? _

Ignorant to her inner turmoil Damon allowed his hands to wander towards her back, his fingers tracing patterns on the fabric of her shirt as she allowed her head to fall into the crook of his neck "I never left you alone Len, I was always looking after you"

"How can I—"

"I'm so sorry"

Her arms went around him then, prisoning him into her body as if her life depended on it "This can't be real Damon, it can't be" Her tears damped the fabric of his shirt as she released everything into him.

His fingers went through her hair with tender care "I know you would prefer this weren't true but you know, deep down you know I am the one telling the truth"

Elena scrunched her eyes tightly as tears continued to fall freely. She felt repulsed to her very core, scared and so very sad that the man who should have been protecting her was nothing but an animal. Because she believed Damon, despite everything she believed him completely.

"The pictures…"

He moved her head away from his neck so he could stare at her "I didn't take those pictures Elena and only now I realize what a fool I was, not realizing he was closer than I thought. I got so distracted that I let him get too close!" His forehead dropped to hers "I won't make that mistake again. I will protect you" His breath mingled with hers as he spoke.

"Even if it means to hurt me…" She whispered, not a question but a statement.

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe Elena" He vowed "I'll even let you hate for me it"

Elena closed her eyes and impulsively joined her lips with his in a brief passionate kiss before dropping her head into his neck once again and allowing him to lay her down.

She wanted to erase the last twenty-four hours, wanted to fall asleep and wake up once again in his bed, thinking that everything was all right in the world, but she couldn't, it was too late. Darkness had managed to overpower light and she was now wrapped in it, embracing it completely as she curled around Damon's body and sought solace in the one place who could give it to her.

Predator

Savior

Executioner

Protector

All blended into the man who held her in his arms and told her everything was going to be all right.


	23. God was never on your side

**Hello there!**

**I know some of you are disliking Damon right now, that you can't see past his vile ways and I sincerely apologize for it but the truth is I am a huge fan of dark characters, I love to read dark erotica where characters aren't always the nicer, this being said I do have my boundaries and I would never cross them but I do like to push them to some extreme. There was a reviewer that said that the last chapter reminded her somehow of Nancy Sinatra's song "Bang Bang" and I found that so amusing because I listen to that song on repeat while I am writing (I listen to 2cellos and Sky Ferrera version, if you haven't listened to it please do, it's so haunting)**

**Also, I hope you're all okay wherever you are; if you are in quarantine I hope this chapter makes it a little less tedious, please remember to be safe and to follow every instruction given by your country's government. If you aren't in quarantine please follow every protocol to stop the virus from spreading further. And be safe, please!**

**Anyway, hope you like this chapter.**

* * *

"_If the sky turned into stone__, __it will matter not at all.__  
__For there is no heaven in the sky__. __Hell does not wait for our downfall_

_Let the sword of reason shine__, l__et us be free of prayer and shrine__  
__God's face is hidden, turned away.__  
__He never has a word to say"_

**Motörhead**

**.**

**.**

He leaned back in the leather seat and observed the trees passing him by; the weariness of the last few days seems to have finally settled into his bones and a look of pure exhaustion marred his otherwise stoic face.

Damon was tired, so very tired of the person he was.

Elena's soft cries and trembling body still burned in his mind even now, hours after he left her sleeping safe and sound in the compound. He had hated every single moment of torture he put her through but it had been necessary, his people needed to see him strong, needed to know he didn't have a weak spot and Caroline needed to be scared enough to ask her mother for help.

Damon had always been a cruel man and now more than ever needed for the rest of the world to see how much of a monster he truly was, how cruel he could be when given a chance. People's fear would keep him alive, their fright and respect would give him what he had been looking for since he realized the nature of John's business.

The mere thought of it made him sick to his stomach; Katherine's vacant face as he wrapped her quivering body in a blanket haunted him to this day, kept him awake at night unable to breathe. Damon Salvatore was a monster but there were scarier atrocities out there and he wouldn't stop until the evilest one of them all was underground.

The black car he was in halted to a stop and made his head snap back to the present, to the ancient-looking house surrounded by a deep blanket of trees that stood imposing, looming over him outside his door.

"Took you long enough" The words were his greeting as the door of the car opened and the smug face of the vilest Mikaelson brother appeared in front of him. The Arctic Wolf, they called him, and his fame was as impressive as Damon's if not more.

Damon rolled his eyes and pushed at the door so he could step out "I got a firecracker under my ass in case you didn't notice" He murmured at the same time he started walking towards the striking iron doors of the mansion the Mikaelson family resided in, not even bothering to see if his host was following him.

Niklaus Mikaelson chuckled behind him "You are quite touchy today" He jested as he caught up to him and forced him to stop with a firm hand on his shoulder "What do you have for me?" He asked as they stood in front of each other in the foyer, the darkness of the mansion swallowing them whole "The blonde will cooperate?"

Damon nodded, jaw tense as he answered "We're on it"

The other man's lips curled in a mocking half-smile "Promises promises Damon"

"You know I don't plan to fail Niklaus"

"None of us do and yet we continue losing" His face lost all traces of mockery, the sharp blue eyes that gave him his nickname staring straight at him "Have you spoken to your brother about our little deal?" Damon averted his gaze, giving him an answer without needing words "Secrets will catch up to you Parca"

"Just give me more time"

Niklaus released an overly dramatic exhale "I'm just making sure you're not having second thoughts. I am quite an impatient man" The mocking smirk appeared on his face again, cold and inviting at the same time "And I want to make sure I'll benefit from this"

Damon chuckled darkly "That you can be sure. I'm not fool enough to believe you're on it out of the goodness of your heart"

Niklaus nostrils flared "Don't get confused Parca" He said sharply "I want my benefits but that is not all that matters, family first, always and forever"

Realization dawned on Damon "The rumors are true then, about what happened to her…"

A shadow crossed the other man's eyes, giving Damon a guess as to how it was that his subjects twisted themselves into knots to get on the Arctic Wolf's good side "You'll do good in never bringing her up again or I'll have your throat as my super in the time it takes you to blink" He said and the shift in his eyes let Damon know the man didn't make idly threats. "You can only imagine how bloodthirsty I feel— what I've seen, what they've done is enough to sicken me to the stomach and that is saying something"

Damon nodded "You and me both"

The sound of feet on the hardwood floor reached his ears seconds before a cheerful shout resonated in the otherwise calmness of the foyer "Damon!" The sound came from the petite woman barreling towards him, his lips widening in a smile as he watched her long curls trailing behind her seconds before she jumped into him "Katerina!" He whispered as his arms tightened around her "It's been a long time"

She released a childlike laugh that made something ache in Damon's chest "Too long if you ask me" Her words were said as she pulled away from him, a frown marring her forehead as she took her hands to his face and traced his features "Oh my God you look terrible"

Niklaus chuckled behind them "Aren't you a gracious host?"

"Shut it Nikk"

Damon smile grew as he grabbed her by the hands and gave her an admiring look "You, on the other hand, look splendid"

The sound of someone clearing his throat made the pair's attention move to the bottom of the staircase where Elijah Mikaelson stood, clad in a smart suit and sporting a murderous expression directed solely at Damon "I would refrain myself with the compliments if I were you, Parca"

Katherine rolled her eyes in annoyance "Don't be a caveman Elijah"

It was Niklaus time to laugh again, clearly amused with the situation in front of him "Yes brother, show some manners"

Katherine shot her brother in law an annoyed glance before releasing Damon's hands and moving towards her husband, whose eyes remained fixed on Damon "Don't be jealous" She murmured when she reached him and felt him snaking his arm around her waist, securing her to his body.

Damon couldn't help his lips widening in a smirk at the territorial look on Elijah's face "You can assure I have nothing but brotherly love towards Kat"

A malicious grin drew itself on Niklaus face, his attention on the elder Salvatore now "Oh yes, you have your very own Principessa, right?" Damon's head twisted in his direction, a snarl on his lips at the mention of Elena "Touchy subject?"

Damon was about to snap at him when he felt Elijah's hand on his shoulder, not having realized the man had moved from his spot "I think we have more important subjects to discuss, don't you agree?"

The dark-haired man tore his eyes away from Niklaus, anger vanishing from his expression "Yes we do"

"Nikk… is someone there?" A soft feminine voice spoke from the top of the stairs, Damon's eyes moved towards the sound on pure instinct, his gaze landing on a beautiful blonde woman.

Her hair was long and luscious, curling down to her waist, her cheeks were rosy from the cold and her frail-looking body was clad in a cream-colored robe. Damon knew who she was from the moment his eyes landed on the scratched skin around her eyes and the pair of eye prosthetics that gave an eerie look to her face.

"No my dear, no one is in here, just us" Niklaus was the one to answer, his tone so soft and mellow it surprised Damon. "Why don't you take our guest to the office, I'll catch up with you soon" He whispered in direction of his brother before heading to the stairs.

"I heard voices—I got scared" Rebekah Mikaelson's voice was frightened and frail and tugged something in Damon's heart, something he couldn't name but that made him look away when Niklaus enfolded her in a strong embrace.

"There's nothing to be afraid of my love" He heard the other man whisper sweetly "am I not here to protect you?"

Elijah's haunted gaze was fixed on the siblings at the top of the stairs, a muscle twitching in his jaw as he spoke "I want him gone" He said, Damon, didn't even need to ask to know who he was referring to so he only nodded as the other man snapped of his trance and moved towards the hallway "Follow me"

* * *

It didn't take long for Klaus, the way his siblings called him, to catch up with them in what Damon guessed was their office, he was visibly shaken and the shadow of something dark and painful seemed to have overwhelmed his expression, gone was the humorous yet irate man who had greeted Damon.

The cards were laid down on the table, Damon presented his current situation and his need to remain in hidden now that John Gilbert was after him, the blonde man had won the upper hand and now the pieces of the board needed to start moving sooner than expected.

The Salvatore's alliance with the Mikaelson's had been unexpected to say a least, but incredibly convenient. It had been pure luck which made Elijah Mikaelson meet Katherine in one of his trips to Florence; lives of people who shared so much in common without knowing it, destinies linked by tragedy and by the monsters responsible for it.

_The enemy of my enemy is my friend;_ Klaus had told him the first time they met and to this day Damon continued seeing the benefits of such alliance, especially now when he needed Katherine's assistance more than anything.

"How angry was he?" Damon asked as he leaned back in the leather seat of his car, an amused smirk stretching his lips. Before departing Damon had asked one last favor of the brothers, a favor which Elijah had refused on the spot only to agree afterward after a lot of cajoling from his wife.

His wife who was now throwing chiding glances towards Damon as they sat on the back of his car on the way to his bunker, Kol, the youngest Mikaelson, following close behind in another car.

"Don't be petty" She told him.

"I just enjoy seeing that look of utter hatred in his eyes"

"Don't taunt him, just because he is cooperating right now doesn't mean he's harmless"

"Wouldn't dream of it" Damon muttered, knowing firsthand how lethal Elijah Mikaelson could be.

"Besides, something tells me you can share his sentiment," Katherine said, the amused smirk directed at Damon this time "Or would you be so laid back if someone was taking Elena out while we're in the middle of a war?"

Damon's jaw clenched at the mere mention of Elena in danger "Good point" He said "I would keep her chained to her room if needed to" Flashes of her limp body on the floor of the warehouse filled his mind and made something in his chest twist painfully.

"Doesn't surprise me" Katherine's mutter was accompanied by a roll of her eyes "How is she?"

Damon exhaled deeply, worry lines marrying his face "As expected… Elena she's—she might seem frail but she is tough, she'll come out of it" He said with conviction "But I think—speaking with you will help her"

Damon was convinced that hearing Katherine's side of things would help her realize the lengths that needed to be taken to guarantee her protection; he believed that if she truly understood the situation would allow her to comprehend the extraordinary measures needed to be taken to destroy John and his organization.

"It'll help you as well after you put her through"

The annoyance tone in Katherine's voice made Damon's head snap towards her, an eyebrow rose in her direction "What do you mean?"

A knowing look crossed her features "You want her to acknowledge there are monsters worse than you" She stated simply "So she can forgive you, so she can forgive herself from loving you, so she can accept you"

Something dark stirred in Damon at her words, at the true that hid behind them "She knows who I am, and loves me despite it" He told her, jaw clenched and a vein throbbing at his temple.

Katherine released a heavy sigh "Never believe that love is unbreakable Damon" She said, her voice a mere whisper "There are certain things that even love can't forgive. And if you push someone enough times… just don't be a monster to her"

Damon's eyes went to the window where he observed the trees passing them by, people walking so oblivious to the darkness of the world, a world he could never be part of, a world that had been denied to him since the time of his birth.

He sighed tiredly "What a way to kill the mood Kat" He muttered and heard the other woman chuckled in response before she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Just giving you friendly advice," She told him gently as she pressed herself closer to him, the grapefruit smell of her hair overwhelming his senses "Be good to her Damon"

_But what if I don't know how to be good_ he wanted to ask her, ask the girl who has suffered immeasurable pain but who still found a reason to smile, the girl he had been too coward to save.

Katherine's eyes closed as they continued their way to the bunker, Damon watched her sleep and felt the shame and regret invading him once again like they did whenever she was close.

As he stared at her features he couldn't stop thinking about everything they did to her while he hid, too much of a coward to step out and defend her. He should have killed John Gilbert that day, he had proven himself to be his father's son when he remained in that closet instead of helping the girl now sleeping next to him.

The girl who had forgiven him despite the fact he had abandoned her to the wolves.

"_You were a kid Damon, you were afraid; it is okay to feel fear. You know that right?"_

"_They would have done the same to you and then you wouldn't have been able to save me"_

Those were the words she constantly repeated to him whenever she realized the pain and regret were overwhelming him, words he refused to believe.

Because he shouldn't have been afraid, he was taken the privilege to be afraid when the bullet aimed at his father tore apart the skin of his face, when John made him gut his dog one week after he married his mother, when his grandfather took him to his first interrogation session when he was only eight or when his mother made him watch as she punished Stefan for something he hadn't done.

Fear shouldn't have been present that day.

* * *

Damon paced back and forth in front of the door where Katherine had disappeared almost two hours earlier; he could hear whispers and occasionally cries but couldn't make out any of it.

The anxiety was killing him; every minute that passed had him on edge, wanting to barrel towards the door and take Elena into his arms, beg for her forgiveness, to erase the last days and disappear with her into the end of the world.

But Damon knew that dreaming was of no use, it had never helped him before.

So he waited, he paced and waited for the door to open, for his chance to see Elena again, to have her in his arms and have things going back to the way they were. It seemed like days had passed before Katherine stepped outside, the door clicking shut quietly behind her.

"Is she—?"

Katherine gave him a gentle smile at the same time she took her hand to his cheek and patted lightly "That is for her to tell not me" She told him "She is a good girl Damon and she is in a lot of pain" Her hand dropped from his face as she sneaked a glance to the closed door behind her "Just give her time"

He sighed heavily before a sad smile appeared on his face "I am afraid time is the one thing we don't have"

Katherine gave him a quizzical look before understanding dawned on her, she pulled him into a hug then, her slender arms securing him to her body with a strength that surprised him "I am afraid this might be the last time we see, don't we?"

He buried his face in her hair, breathing the smell that was somehow so comforting to him "I wish it weren't" He said as he clung to the girl he had met so many years ago, to the girl that somehow represented the last shred of his lost innocence, the knowledge that the world was a very cruel place.

They pulled away from each other, her hazel eyes were shining with the tears that slid down her cheeks "No matter what you think, you did save me that day" She said as she grabbed onto his hands "It wasn't the first time they touched me and it wouldn't have been the last if you hadn't taken me away"

Damon felt nausea building up in his throat at the thought of what she went through during the time John held her captive "You deserved so much better"

"We don't always get what we deserve," She said before one of her hands went to the tender skin of the marred side of his face "You should know that"

Damon grabbed her hand and kissed it "Be safe Kat and be happy. That is what you deserve"

Her tear-stained eyes stared up at him, a broken smile on her lips as she spoke "Thank you, Damon, for everything" She clung to him one last time before stepping away and walking away in search of Kol, Damon watched her go with a heavy heart.

Once her dear friend disappeared from his eyes, Damon steeled his back and went to open the door to the room Elena was in. He found her sitting on the desk he had placed where the window should have been. Damon had designed this bedroom especially for her, decorated it with all the things she would love, but he never guessed the circumstances in which he would show it to her.

Things hadn't gone the way he planned, time had gotten in his way and he had to take measures that would haunt him until the end of his days.

Elena had taken a bath and changed her clothes, her hair was now pilled at the top of her head and the back of her neck was visible with the low neckline sweater she was wearing, the strong smell of the apples in the shampoo he bought for her overwhelmed him with the desire to reach for her and bury himself in her skin.

"Len…"

He could see the way her back stiffened when she heard his voice, her hands dropped the pen she had been holding and twisted slightly so only half of her face was visible to him "I want to be alone"

Damon sighed as he stepped further into the room "I'm sorry but you can't"

She turned completely towards him at that, fire burning in the eyes that once had looked at him with pure adoration "Can't you just leave alone for once in your life?" She nearly screamed at him "You've been controlling it the entire time, controlling me since I was a little girl, fool enough to follow you everywhere"

"I know this is hard"

"You don't know shit! You don't know what I am feeling, what I am—" Her voice broke down, a trembling hand going to rest above her chest "It hurts Damon, everything does. What he did… I'm his blood Damon; I am as dirty as him"

He shook his head vehemently "No, you could never"

Her hand dropped to her thighs, her eyes closing and allowing the tears to roll down her cheeks. He walked towards her then, kneeling in front of her and grasping her hands in his own.

"Maybe that's why I love you" Her voice was a barely audible whisper "I am as twisted as him, maybe that's why I can't say no to you" Chocolate eyes opened to stare at him with something that made his gut twist, disgust, and shame reflecting in those beautiful eyes that had promised him so many things once upon a time "You're a monster, you've hurt me in ways I couldn't even imagine"

Emotion overwhelmed him, a weight settling in his chest and making breathing almost impossible "Elena…"

"You've been awful to me," She said brokenly, her hands abandoning his and going to his face, her touch tentative as if the mere act of touching him was revolting to her "You've broken me for the sole propose of doing it"

"That is not true" He whispered, tears of his own clouding his vision and dampening the fingers that were touching him.

She looked at him sadly, all traces of the anger of moments before vanished "Don't act like if you don't enjoy it"

"I don't," He said fervently, his head dropping into her lap "I want to protect you!"

"You've been a terrible person Damon, you've done all the wrong choices and yet I can't let go of you," Elena told him as she moved his head away from her thighs, her touch cold and vacant "And it hurts Damon, it hurts to love you and it hurts not to" Damon felt as if somehow she was twisting his heart in his chest, her words scorching themselves in his brain

"Len, please…"

"No, no" A sob climbed into her throat as she rose from the chair, away from him and his touch "I don't even know what to feel anymore!" She went to stand by the door, opening it for him in a clear sign for him to leave "Please just go"

Damon remained kneeling on the floor, a look of complete devastation etched into his features.

"Get out! Leave me alone!"

Her shouts made him stand up from the ground and walk towards the door, pausing only when he was next to her, his hand raising to touch a lock of her hair "I am sorry" He whispered before stepping outside.

The door closed behind him with a bang that seemed to resonate on his very bones, just as the sobs that followed it. Damon sat down by the door, his back to the wall as he listened to her cry, knowing he was the reason for her pain.

He stayed there the whole time until the cries subsided and he heard the bed rustling. Then he stood up and stepped inside, wishing nothing more than to veil her dreams and protect her from the nightmare he was sure would come.

He watched her sleep and felt repulsed with himself for what he did to her, for all the ways he hurt her. Elena had always been too precious for him to handle, a porcelain doll that needed to be kept safe, but she was also strong and sometimes he felt the need to prove her strength, to push her to see how much it would take for her to break.

He was the villain in her story, there was no denying it and he hated himself for it.

He leaned down towards her and traced the outline of her cheek with his fingers, her skin warm to his cold hand. It had always been that way; she was always the heat that warmed his cold undead heart.

Pain sliced through him as he remembered her words, the hatred in her eyes as she looked at him, he was so used to her adoration that to be the end of her hatred felt alien to him, it pained him in places he didn't know he had.

Damon Salvatore was a true monster and Elena had finally realized it and it scared the shit out of him that she wouldn't be able to see past it, to forgive him. That after everything he would end up without her, the fear of losing her gripped him so tightly he was forced to step back and leave the bedroom, nausea building up in his throat.

He emptied his stomach until his throat burned, doubled over the sink as Katherine's words came back to him _"Never believe that love is unbreakable Damon" _she said, and the thought alone was enough to break him.

_If God is wise, why is He still__ w__hen these false prophets call Him friend?__  
__Why is He silent? Is He blind?__  
__Are we abandoned in the end?_


	24. We were born sick

Hey!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter; please forgive me for any typos. This Damon has been quite controversial I see but what can I say I do love dark characters, hell, show Damon was pretty dark. I do love to read everything you have to say about this story so feel free to leave a review once you're done.

I hope everyone is safe and taking the necessary precautions given the health issue we're facing all over the world.

* * *

"Take me to church  
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies  
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife  
Offer me that deathless death  
Good God, let me give you my life"

**-Hozier-**

**.**

**.**

Her hands moved swiftly over the long blonde locks of the girl in front of her, the clean strawberry smelling tendrils of hair reflected the light from the bulb in the ceiling in the way Elena imagined the sun would have made, but there was no sun where they were.

Three days had passed since Damon locked them inside the Salvatore warehouse, but Elena felt like it had been months instead of days. She was going crazy in the solitude of the rusty smelling place, she couldn't bear to be another minute alone with her thoughts, with the nightmares that haunted her and rendered unable to move.

Elena couldn't stop hearing Katherine's voice in her head, her words retelling the story of the tragedy that had marred her life, of the nightmare her father had made her life. She tried to conjure the monster of that story with the one she remembered from her infancy, tried to regain something from her memories that would allow her to defend him, to be certain what they were saying was a lie but she couldn't.

Because all she could remember was the man he became after her mother passed away when the mask slipped away and he was revealed to her. The man who made Damon kill his dog, who broke Stefan's nose when he was nine, the man who was going to allow a grown man touch her when she was only a child.

The memory had come swift and sudden to her the night before, an unwanted visitant crawling back to its surface as she lay awake in her bed. She remembered the man's face, the same man she had seen back in her father's study not long ago, she remembered his hand on her small ankle and the fear that overwhelmed her when he squeezed her, she also remembered Damon's arrival and the gun he aimed at her father's head. Elena remained still on the bed all night wondering how it was possible for her to forget, to bury that unwelcome memory on the bottom of her brain.

Caroline's tired heavy sigh snapped Elena from the unwanted memory back to the present, where her hands moved expertly the silver-colored brush through the blonde's locks. "Do you feel better?" She asked, Damon had finally allowed her to visit Caroline today, the blonde was recently showered and without circles in her eyes when Elena walked inside her room, yet the worry and fear overwhelmed her expression making her look much older than she was.

At the silence she got from her question Elena felt her stomach drop, a nasty feeling crawling up her throat "Have they—has anyone hurt you?"

The blonde shook her head "Not really" She said, Elena could see her fingers fidgeting with a string of fabric that had come loose in the coral track pants she was wearing "Stefan has been kind to me, I don't understand"

Elena's fingers abandoned the brush and started treading the blonde's hair in a braid "He cares for you" the words felt like ash in her mouth, a part of her believed them and another just wanted to reassure Caroline everything was going to be all right, Damon had promised no harm would come to the blonde and she had chosen to believe him.

"I don't think that's true," She said, her voice raspy from the hours of crying Elena guessed "How can you endure it? Living like this"

Elena though back at this and wondered briefly how it would look to someone on the outside, the choice of living inside a world of fear and luxury, a contradiction of all sorts. But the choice hadn't been hers, no one ever asked her if she wanted to remain in that family, people had decided for her a long time ago and they kept on doing it. Her father had made her believe she could free herself but it had been nothing but lies, a mirage of the life she desired.

"I wasn't given much of a choice"

"I couldn't," Said the blonde, disdain laced on her words "I could live with myself if I knew… the things they do"

Elena sighed as she tightened the end of the braid with an elastic "It's not black and white Caroline" The brunet abandoned her place behind the other girl and circled the bed until she was standing in front of it, her back resting against the wall "People from the outside could never understand. We are born in the middle of it, getting out is never an option, especially for people like Stefan and Damon, who were groomed to be who they are"

Elena didn't want to defend her step-brothers, not after the way they had treated her and Caroline but she couldn't stop herself before the words left her mouth because she believed in them, because she had seen how being part of that world had broken Damon. Because she noticed how Stefan started changing when he started spending more time with her father and the way Damon retreated into himself every time he came back home with blood in his hands.

As it often happened in life, Stefan and Damon had been born victims and their circumstances had made them victimizers, and the fact she saw all of that happen was the reason she could never hate them, not really.

"But we are born with free will Elena, we choose if we want to be good or bad"

Elena released a humorless laugh "Free will means nothing when you are the heir to a criminal empire" She muttered "When you grow up under men like my father who— there is no way out for us, only death" Elena looked at the terror and confusion on the blonde's face and felt a stab of sympathy "I am not saying they are victims or pretending to excuse their behaviors but you must understand… they've seen nothing but blood and violence, that's what they deem as normal"

Elena herself even though not groomed to be a criminal like her step-brothers had become jaded little by little by the actions around her, by the violence and terror that being born into the criminal world brought.

"I can't imagine living like that…" Caroline voiced, her eyes hardening and clouding with something resembling hatred "I would have killed myself"

An unusual smirk appeared on Elena's face "No you wouldn't. You would be used to it" She said as she straightened up and abandoned her place against the wall "You would have steeled your back to survive. The world is a jungle Caroline and only the strongest can survive"

* * *

After leaving Caroline's room Elena decided to head in direction of Damon's office, she knew he was alone in there because she heard Stefan stepping out moments earlier, feet stumping the ground the way they did whenever he was angry about something, she couldn't stop from wondering what had been the latest disagreement between the brothers.

Caroline's hopeless eyes swirled in her mind as she stood outside Damon's door, she had reassured the blonde girl the brothers didn't intend to kill her but she wasn't entirely convinced, Damon had become completely unpredictable for her in the last couple of days.

After taking a long breath she pushed open the big oak door and found him sitting behind his desk, eyes fixed on a stack of scattered papers on the wooden surface and a tumbler filled with amber liquid on his hand.

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her with a harsh bang, his eyes lifting towards her for a second before his attention went back to the contents scattered on his desk. Elena clenched her teeth at the irritating nonchalance he portrayed.

She cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest as she went to stand exactly in front of his desk, her thighs making contact with the cold wood of the desk "What do you plan to do with her?

His eyes moved away from the papers in front of him, his eyes seeming to strip her from the yellow summer dress she was wearing, against her better judgment she found herself blushing underneath his scorching stare

He leaned back on his black leather chair "Excuse me?

Elena steeled her back and looked down at him trying to appear as cool and collected as possible, wanting to convince herself she wasn't worried by the hollowness of his cheekbones and the dark circles underneath his eyes.

"Caroline, are you going to kill her?"

Damon released a tired sigh "No, Elena. Stefan loves her"

She nodded in response and moved towards one of the chairs in front of his desk, she wondered if perhaps it was the easiest way out, a way to relieve her conscience but she chose to believe Damon that Stefan truly loved the blonde girl.

"Then what?" She said as she slowly lowered herself into one of the chairs.

Damon gave her a hard glance, his posture changing as he leaned over the desk, fingers lacing as he rested them on top of the wood "We need her because we need her mother working with us"

A hysterical laugh climbed up her throat at the absurdity of his response "What makes you think her mother is going to cooperate? Especially now that you abducted her daughter" Laugher escaped her lips again at the harshness of Damon's expression "It seems to be you didn't think your plan through"

His jaw clenched to the point she could almost hear his teeth clashing against each other "This wasn't the plan Elena" He hissed, a storm brewing behind his blue eyes "Things took a surprise turn so the plan had to change. The man Caroline was talking when Stefan got her? The friend of her mother's, his name is Markos and he works for John, they were going to take blondie and do God knows what things to her so if you ask me she got the better end of the deal"

Elena's blood ran cold as flashes of the man her father had left her with when she was only a child assaulted her mind suddenly for some reason, the idea of Caroline in the hands of someone as twisted as the men her father associated with was unbearable to her.

Her gaze abandoned his, her mind settling on the fancy drinking cart at the other side of the table, the piece of furniture resulted jarring in contrast with the otherwise bare and decadent decoration of the room. She abandoned her chair and took a couple of steps that separated her from what she guessed was Damon's favorite part of the room, she grabbed a glass and a bottle of gin, her attention was on the drink she was making but her words were directed straight to her step-brother "Are you going to kill me?"

The sound of the ice clinking in the glass resonated in the emptiness of the room; she didn't dare to lift her eyes but sensed him standing up from his chair "You know the answer to that Elena" His words reached her seconds before she filled herself with the courage to raise her eyes towards him "You know I'll never hurt you"

She shook her head before she dawned the entire drink she had spent seconds preparing "No I don't!" She shrieked, her hands slamming the now empty glass against the expensive wood "Because I don't even know who you are anymore"

Damon's face hardened, his posture stiffened as he stroke towards her "You've always known who I am pretty girl; don't try to pretend you don't" He said "You've always known what I am capable of and you went into my bed all the same"

Her cheeks colored with rosy shame, embarrassment filled her as she remembered how she had thrown herself at him countless of times. He was right, she had done it despite knowing what he did, who he was, and she had desired him all the same. She had loved him despite who he was, just like she did now and she hated to think what that said about her.

"I always thought you would protect me" Her whisper was strained, a lonely echo in the hollowness that existed between them.

Damon's nostrils flared; his face crumbling as he moved to stand nose to nose with her "And I am not doing it?" He hissed, eyes sparkling with outrage and regret, emotions swirling in the black pools his eyes had become "Haven't I kept you safe since the moment you looked up at me with those wide scared eyes so many years ago?" His voice cracked at the last sentence and Elena felt something squeeze inside her chest, her eyes seeing that little boy with the marred face and the clear eyes who held her hand "Doesn't occur to you this is the only way I know how—how to keep you safe"

A vulnerability Elena hadn't seen before clouded his features, the vision so raw that managed to break something inside her when she believed there was nothing else to break "What is wrong with me?" She whispered seconds before she took his face between her hands, her fingers tracing the scars on his skin with gentleness "Why can't I let you go?"

Tears spilled from her eyes as she stared at him, at the man who had shown her so much pain and so much love, the man she would follow to the end of the world

Damon leaned into her touch, his body seeking the tenderness only she had shown him "Because you and I, we have something Elena" He told her, his eyes burning alive with the bright blue she loved so much, long gone was the darkness that clouded them minutes earlier "We've always been the same, one soul in two different bodies" His body moved closer to hers, his lips seeking hers and resting just a few millimeters apart "You are the light and I am the darkness, always one and the same"

Elena released a breathless moan "Damon…" The words swirled against his lips minutes before he touched hers briefly "Let me love you, Bonita" He said against her mouth "Let me show you"

Her hands lost themselves in his hair as she allowed him complete control of her mouth, tongues melting against each other as his hands wandered over the length of her body, a body he had grown to know as well as his own.

Elena moaned softly into his mouth, her body molding into his, permitting him to do with her as he pleased. The blood pumped into her veins with frenzy at the feel of his hands on her skin, of his mouth seeking hers, Elena was addicted to the feeling being with him evoked in her, to the passion and the love, to the rawness of their relationship, to the complete abandon she felt whenever she was with him.

Her back found the old-looking couch without her realizing it, her legs parting for him, his body settling into her as his mouth continued to devour her, asking for forgiveness and remarking his ownership, giving and taking as he always did.

Elena found the waistband of his pants and wasted no time in freeing him, the urge to feel him against her overwhelming her completely, it had been so long, so long since she felt him moving inside her and she craved the completeness she managed to feel only when he was within her.

"Damon…" She gasped into his mouth as his fingers found the place between her legs, the slickness of her desire coating him completely, her thighs damp with the proof of her need for him.

"You are so precious" He murmured in awe as he watched her lower the straps of her sundress, the yellow fabric sliding down until it exposed the pair of rosy peeks to his hungry gaze "So, so precious" He murmured to himself before he lowered his head towards her chest, his face resting in between her breast as he pressed wet kisses to the center of it.

Elena moved against him, urging him to take her into his mouth, her legs tightening around him as she felt him slide two fingers into her "I need you" She murmured before she felt his tongue flicking one rosy nipple with his tongue, every nerve ending in her body came alive at this touch.

Her loud moans echoed in the otherwise silent room, her heated skin prickling with every new sensation he provoked in her, Elena had never felt more alive than she did when he was touching her.

Damon's head lifted from her chest and the devilish grin he gifted her was enough to set ablaze the blood in her veins, his fingers curved inside her as he abandoned his position on top of her and moved so his head was now at level with the place of her desire.

Elena threw her head back and bit her lip to the point of blood when she felt him flicker his tongue against her dampness, her stomach coiled with tension as his mouth explored her, toes curling in pleasure as her legs went to rest above his shoulders. Her hands twisted the fabric of her dress as she tried to regain control of her senses, something great was building inside her and she feared the crash would devastate her.

"Damon!" She gasped as she felt another finger inside; the wet sound of his mouth on hers was a vulgar sound that felt like music to her ears "Please!" She felt him smirk against her heated flesh, his finger finding that spot only him had managed to claim as his tongue sucked in the small nub into her mouth, then a kaleidoscope of colors exploded behind her eyelids, her back arching as she gasped for air, the pleasure overwhelming her and making her body tremble in delight.

She was still riding the high when she felt him sink into her, her eyes opening in a sudden move to find him above her, his open shirt allowed her to see the slickness of the sweat that coated his chest, her hands frenzied as they reached for him, tracing each indent she found in his skin.

"Kiss me" She demanded and watched in awe as he lowered his face towards her, her legs securing themselves around his waist, pushing him deeper into her, wanting him to melt inside her and never come out.

His mouth found hers and their lips joined in a carnal battle, tongues, and teeth meet each other as the passion between them escalated, Elena could feel him shudder against her, his movements erratic as he neared the explosion that waited for him.

His hand moved to touch the place between her legs once again, Elena hissed in pleasure as his expert movements took her to a place she only went with him. Her lips abandoned his mouth and moved towards the scars on his face, the skin tender and raw at her touch. She kissed him there and his groan of pleasure traveled straight to her core, her nails digging into his backside and urging him to go faster, their groins joined as her second orgasm approached.

Elena would never give up this, the passion that only with Damon she could find. The pleasure was to give herself to someone completely, in a way she had only done with him. He was right; they had always been the same, twin flames doing a dangerous dance, light and dark meeting each other.

They came together like they always did. Mouths meeting again as they exploded together, her legs secured around him and stopping from moving, locking him to her as the waves of their pleasure subsided.

Elena didn't care if the whole warehouse had heard their coupling, she didn't care about what he had done to her day earlier, she didn't care about anything but the fact she was happier in his arms than anywhere else. So she didn't protest when he took her into his arms and fixed the upper part of her dress, she snuggled into him as he walked outside the office room and took her back the room she had woken up days earlier.

She didn't protest either when she felt him stripping her from her dress and cleaning the mess they had made between her legs; she closed her eyes and breathed in the clean-smelling scent of the pillows before she felt him climbing into the bed with her.

"I love you" He murmured, his lips finding her neck and placing small butterfly kisses to the length of it, she purred softly and snuggled into him, his arms around her waist as she allowed his touch to vanquish the nightmares that chased her.

* * *

Her head was pressed against his chest, the steady thump of his heart a calming balm to her ears. His fingers traced random patterns on the skin of her back, his touch cold to her heated skin

"Was your father different? From John, I mean. You never speak of him" The inquiry came without her realizing it, a slip of her tongue voicing the question that had swirled around in her head on more than one occasion.

Damon released a humorless chuckle, the sound reverberating in his chest "My father was weak man Elena" He said simply "He found out my mother and your father were having an affair and his whole world came tumbling down, she was everything to him, everything and once she was gone he found nothing else to fight for" His arms tightened around her form, Elena could feel the waves of anger rolling off him as he spoke about his father "Zack was always meant to lead the Salvatore family, Giuseppe was too much of a coward, killed himself because his wife was a whore"

She remained silent for a while, trying to assimilate the meaning behind his words. A part of Elena had always known her father had been unfaithful to her mother but there was a small piece of her who wished for her dreams to be true, for the father she often imagined in her head from the days her mother lived to be true and not just some fragment her imagination twisted to keep her sane.

"I didn't know… why he did it" She confessed, while the nature of Giuseppe's death was never a secret in their household she never imagined her father had been the main cause of the other man's actions "I always refused to believe it you know? That my father had cheated on my mom with yours, the staff always gossiped about it and I never wanted to ask you because…" Her voice trailed off, her fingers splaying over his stomach, feeling it twitch underneath them "Isabella wasn't so bad and I didn't want— I didn't want the notion of my father being different before mom died to be destroyed, I wanted to believe there was at least something good in him"

Damon cursed underneath his breath "Fuck, I am sorry. I thought—"

"No, don't' be" Her head moved so her chin was now the one resting on his chest, her chocolate eyes starting up at him from underneath her lashes "Do you miss him? Your father"

"No"

His response was swift and firm but Elena knew better than to believe him, there was a spark of vulnerability in his eyes whenever he spoke about his father that he always tried to hide, it pained her, the realization that Damon had lived his entire life hiding himself from the world "Damon…"

He sighed tiredly, one of his hands abandoning her skin and going to touch the disfigured side of his face "He's the reason I got this—he's the reason why we left Italy, why…"

"Why you met John? Why you met me?"

"Len…"

Elena couldn't stop the tears from filling her eyes as the question that had haunted her the night before came back to her "What would have become of me if you hadn't arrived into my life" She told him "I did that question to myself yesterday and It paralyzed me" She confessed "I don't want to ever imagine it"

Damon's eyes closed as if in pain, the hand that had rested on his face went to hers, his thumb stroking her bottom lip with gentleness "I love you Elena" He told her "I know It is hard to believe after everything but I do love you"

Elena released a shaky breath, allowing the fear that had gripped her the night before to be visible to his eyes "What happens now Damon? What is the next move?"

"You want to know?"

Elena nodded at the same time she abandoned her earlier position and sat cross-legged next to him, the sheet that had been covering her body slipping until it pooled around her waist "If we are going to be together then we'll do everything together, not half-truths, not again" Her eyes drilled him, chin stuck out as she looked down at him "It's the whole deal or I am out"

An unfamiliar smile curved Damon's lips, his hand tracing a path from her knee to her stomach "Do you love me?" He asked as his fingers caressed her, fingers splaying across her ribcage.

Elena felt her eyes flutter in response to his sensual touch, desire already pooling low in her stomach once more "What? She managed to murmur in her lust induced haze.

The playfulness in his expression evaporated, leaving nothing behind but pure naked fear "Do you love me, Len?"

"Yes"

The words slipped out of her mouth without any effort, even after everything Elena could not deny her love for him, for the person who had protected her from harm even if it meant doing some of it in the process. Damon had never been an angel, he had always been the devil in her story and it was foolish of her to pretend she didn't know that.

One of his hands went to lace her fingers with his, his skin warm to the touch "There's something I need to tell you" His mouth parted to speak, blue eyes filled with fear stared up at her as he spoke the words that would change her life forever.


	25. You are lost, you can never go home

**Hello there!**

**My muse seems to be on full working mood at the moment so with a little luck we'll have faster updates yay! Once more I want to thank every single one of you for reading and reviewing, seeing how much you love my story and everything you have to say it's the best reward I could ask for. I hope everyone is safe and taking care during this pandemic time and I also hope my story is helping some of you have a little less dull time during this quarantine.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

_"These tears you cry have come too late_  
_Take back the lies, the hurt, the blame!_  
_And you will weep when you face the end alone._  
_You are lost! You can never go home"_

**-Emiliana Torrini-**

**.**

The amber liquid swirled inside the expensive-looking tumbler that hanged from his fingers; his right leg was casually crossed on top of his left one as he leaned back in the dark red leather couch. If he had to use a word to describe the Mikaelson brother's style it would be lavish.

Signs of their extravagant style were scattered all over the living room; from the bearskin rug and the several sculptures artfully placed to the ornamented frames that hang from the walls. It was opulent and stuffy but Damon found himself thinking it suited the brothers and perhaps if he were with someone else the place would have felt cold and phony but with the current company, Damon felt more at ease than he had ever felt with other associates.

Perhaps it was the fact that he had grown to like the brothers given the fact they shared a coming goal and close knowledge of how twisted the world truly was.

Elijah Mikaelson's apprehensive gaze regarded him now from where he sat across the room in an identical couch to the one he was currently at "Liz Forbes has agreed to work with us?"

Damon chuckled humorlessly at his question "There was a little coercion on our part" His words were followed by a long mouthful of the liquid in his tumbler. To say their talk with the Detective had run smoothly would be to overreact, Damon had been aware that trying to blackmail a woman as powerful and tenacious like Liz Forbes would be a colossal task but he had never been one to back down from a challenge, so now here he was, with the woman that had been hunting his ass as one more allied.

Nikklaus, who had been sitting silently next to his brother, hunched over until his elbows were resting on top of his knees "Can we trust her?"

Damon emptied the content of his tumbler before placing in the exquisitely carved oak coffee table placed between them "While we're in this? Absolutely" He stated "Afterwards? Is every man for himself"

That had been the main clause in his and Liz Forbes agreement, bringing down Jonh's organization was the main goal and the only reason the detective would turn a blind eye to what they did to achieve it but once their task was accomplished she was going back to haunt them, something that didn't concern Damon in the slightest.

After all, in her years trying to catch them, Liz Forbes hadn't managed to get a piece of single evidence to prove their business wasn't as clean as it appeared and if luck was on their side the presidential elections of late fall would gain them a bigger ally.

As if in reading his mind, a gleeful smirk appeared in the blonde Mikaelson's face "Funny you say that since she's never managed to get any dirt on you"

"Not on you either"

Elijah cleared his throat, his sharp gaze traveling from his brother next to him to Damon who was sitting next to Stefan on the couch across the small coffee table "That'll be Nikklaus concern once this is over…and yours…"

Damon's lips tightened in a forced smile and felt Stefan stiffen next to him "And mine of course, but I think Klaus and I will work splendidly together, don't you agree?"

The blonde man raised his still full glass in a salute "I'm sure we'll find some common ground"

"Do you honestly think this will work out?" The words came out from Stefan's mouth; Damon glanced at him briefly and noticed his right leg was twitching, a nervous tick he carried from his years under John's tutelage "A clean slate for the organization?"

Damon snorted "We are not trying to make it Disneyland Stefan. But some limits should never be crossed"

The young Salvatore gave his brother an apprehensive glance and Damon briefly wondered how he had managed to miss the growing dark circles under Stefan's eyes "I just keep on thinking, John and Mikael's business has thrived so much because people are willing to pay for it" He said with disgust "What makes us think that in taking them down we'll manage to eradicate the entire thing? There will always be someone else wanting the same thing"

Klaus jaw hardened, the feral eyes that gave him his nickname drilling the young Salvatore to the spot "A little late to back down don't you think Stef?"

Stefan huffed nervously, the tremor on his leg becoming more evident "I am not baking down I just— I think we are being naïve"

Damon saw the way Elijah's Mikaelson demeanor changed and knew it was time to stop his brother before he threw away their alliance with the brothers, however before he had time to speak Elijah stood up from his seat and walked until he was looming over Stefan.

"Look, boy, we are not trying to change the fucking world" He spat "None of the presents can claim to be a saint, but there are two things that I want, that I've desired above anything else and those are revenge for what was done to my wife and my sister and the certainty it won't happen again under my watch" His words were sharp and cold but there was a shine in his eyes that spoke about pain, about a truth so horrible it was almost impossible to talk about it "Not in my city, not in my organization. I am not fucking Captain America trying to save the world but even I have limits"

Damon almost expected for the other man to crush the glass he had been holding onto his brother's skull but instead of it, he slowly turned around and headed in direction of the bar cart, back stiff as he strode away.

"Or are you telling me human trafficking is something you fancy Stefan? Because if that's the case then we were mistaken all along" Klaus decided to continue the speech his brother had started, a dark shadow covering his face as he directed his words to Stefan "Can you imagine the place Markos was going to take that pretty little blonde of yours? Because I've been there, Bekah's been there and she clawed her fucking eyeballs out in an attempt to forget about it"

Damon flinched at the mention of Rebekah Mikaelson, the one limit the brothers had, what had exactly happened to the girl had been a complete mystery to Damon who had heard nothing but whispers of people, rumors that couldn't be confirmed or denied, even Katherine had been tight-lipped about it but the more time he spend with the brothers more the mystery unraveled and the nasty feeling at the pit of his stomach increased because he could guess pretty well what had been done to the poor girl, what pain she must have endured to leave her in such a poor state of mind.

Damon decided to finally interrupt and stood to follow Elijah to the bar cart, his movements as nonchalant as he could muster "There's no need to lose our temper here, don't mind him, his head has been a mess since certain blonde girl refuses to speak with him" His hands busied themselves as he refilled his tumbler with the amber liquid Elijah offered him.

"Then perhaps he's not as good for the job as we believed" The words were whispered to him by Elijah, a knowing look on his face as he stared at him.

Damon tensed, something dark and dangerous shinning in his eyes as he leveled the other man with a stare as intense "I think we're all overreacting a little bit here, don't we?" He hissed "The impending doom is above us and tension is getting a bit high, but we are all still on the same side, aren't we Stefan?"

"Of course" Stefan was only too rushed to answer, his leg had stopped the nervous movement and his eyes were severe as he stared back at Damon "We are"

* * *

He strode into the office with his brother following close behind, his body was coiled with tension and his jaw continued to tick as he rounded the corner of the desk and went to sit on his black leather chair.

"What the fuck was that?" He spit out once he was seated down, blue glacial eyes boring down in the man taking a seat in front of him. The entire ride back to their safe-house had been spent in complete silence, Damon's body coiled with tension as his brother's careless words swirled inside his head "You want to cost us our alliance with the Mikaelson?"

Stefan huffed "Don't be an idiot Damon"

Damon gritted his teeth, his brother's attitude annoying him beyond his control "Sorry brother but that spot had been acquitted by yourself" His words were accompanied by the bang of his hand against the wooden surface of his desk "What the fuck was that?"

Stefan released an almost imperceptible flinch at the harshness in Damon's tone of voice; it wasn't often than his brother's ire was directed at him. The younger brother leaned forwards, tired eyes staring up at his brother and boss as a hand went to his head, his fingers losing in the strands of hair in a tense gesture.

"I finally killed Trevor"

Damon rolled his eyes as he leaned back on his chair, eyes assessing his brother "Took you long enough"

Trevor had been one of the men who John Gilbert had trusted with Caroline's kidnaping, Markos had managed to escape but the other man had fallen easily into their hands since it was Stefan's girlfriend he planned to harm Damon had handed over to him, it was his job to end him, a job he had taken too long to accomplish because apparently, he was having too much of a good time torturing the man first.

Hazel eyes moved away from him, a cloud of shame coating them and making something dark twist inside Damon's body.

Stefan filled his cheeks with air before releasing it and fixing his eyes in his brother's once again, his hands twisted anxiously over his lap as the unflinching blue gaze stared back at him "I… I dismembered his body"

"What?" Damon blinked in surprise, blood running cold at his brother's admission.

"And I liked it" Stefan's words were accompanied by a mad glint in his eyes, something Damon had often seen shinning in his step-father's gaze "I wanted to see him in pain after—if Markos had managed to take her"

"Jesus Stefan" Damon stood up from his chair, his hands going to his head and tugging on his hair in an attempt to control de buzzing energy inside him. He would never claim himself to be a saint and he was well aware his brother was as much a criminal as he was but something was unsettling in the way Stefan's words swirled in his head, in seeing the small boy that had ran into his arms crying after their mother beat him speaking about enjoying tearing up a man's limbs.

He wondered if perhaps that was the way Elena felt whenever she watched him arrive back home covered in blood after one of his jobs.

Stefan let his head drop between his hands, his body hunched forward over the desk "It scares me, the bloodlust inside me" He confessed "I'm not sure I could ever be as good as a Boss like you"

Damon went to stand in front of the bar cart, his hands busying themselves with the preparations of drinks "In case you didn't notice Stef, bloodlust is sort of a required skill here" He said, trying to push the fear for his brother at the back of his mind, if they had any chance of winning this war he needed Stefan sane, strong, not at the edge of a crisis.

"But not like me, uncontrollable!" His shouts startled Damon, his eyes moved away from his drink to watch his brother who had vacated his seat and now paced anxiously over the length of the room "I am not you Damon, I can't think with a clear head, I let the rage consume me"

"That's because they've always allowed you to reign free" Damon walked towards him with a drink extended in his direction "You need restrain, that can be learned" Stefan took the offering drink and downed it in one gulp before slamming the glass forcefully on the wooden desk

Damon took a hand to his brother's shoulder and squeezed "I will help you" He vowed, glassy blue eyes staring at him and once again seeing the little boy who had asked for his help so many times "People worship you Stefan; they see you as a leader, hell one would never guess you like to dismember bodies by looking at you"

"Not funny"

Damon chuckled, trying to ease the tension that had arisen in the room "I'm being serious, why do you think mother likes to parade you in her parties instead of me? People are drawn to you because they think you are nice" His hand left his shoulder and went to slap his cheek playfully before he walked away and went to sit behind his desk once again "And we need for people to keep on believing it, underestimate you. Plus, you'll have a brand new detective in your pocket"

Stefan released a dejected sigh and let himself fall into the chair once again "I don't think Caroline is ever going to forgive me"

"She'll come around," Damon said with a nonchalant shrug "You'll make her come around"

Stefan's haze eyes bore down on him "Sometimes I wonder who is more fucked up" He said and made Damon wonder the same time.

The pieces were on the move, war loomed over them and now he had one extra concern in his mind, he needed to find a way to stop his brother from spinning out of control. Damon took the tumbler with amber liquid to his lips and stared at the man in front of him, the little boy whom he had been forced to take care of as a product of their mother's negligence.

Damon had a plan but knew his brother would never join him, knew their paths were doomed to break sooner than expected, and felt an overwhelming weight falling on top of his chest as the realization finally hit him.

Their paths were meant to break but he would be dammed if he let his brother destroy himself.

* * *

Weariness overwhelmed him as he opened the door to his bedroom, the tiredness of the day had finally started seeping into his bones and he wanted nothing more than a warm bed and a decent night sleep so he could be as sharp as possible the next morning.

He stepped inside the room and found her lying down on his bed, sheets tangled around her hips, and a book between her hands while she sat with her back pressing into the headboard.

Elena was no prisoner in his bunker, not anymore; even so, it still startled him to find her waiting for him. Despite their fact, their relationship seemed to be on the mends, up until that moment she had chosen to spend each night alone.

"Rough day?" She asked when she saw him standing by the door; the book was closed and was placed in the nightstand; Damon blinked away his surprise and closed the door behind him.

"Awful" He admitted as he started removing his shoes.

Elena licked her lips nervously "Any new on my father?" She asked as she moved to kneel on the bed facing him.

"He is laying low, the bastard" Damon muttered under his breath as he unbuttoned his shirt and walked towards the bed "It worries me, it's almost as if he's making no effort in searching for us"

The last words were said more to himself than her; Damon pried himself into being smart, his uncle and grandfather had trained him to be a mafia for a long time but more often than not he felt his skills were only physical, he was good at hurting people and nothing more, and he felt like John Gilbert was slipping right from underneath him.

"Maybe he'll let it go"

Damon released a small laugh as he dropped himself into the bed "You are too naïve sometimes" Elena's face hardened at his answer but he reached for her before she could move away, his hand grabbing her by the waist and moving her so she rested on his lap "Hey, don't get mad"

"You keep on treating me like a child"

"I do not"

Elena released a huff at the same time she rolled her eyes "You couldn't be more condescending with me if you tried" Her tone was angry even as she went lax in his embrace, her hands resting against his chest as he circled her waist with his arms "I've always been nothing but a pretty doll to you" Soft brown eyes looked down, a blush covering her cheeks as she tried to hide away her face from him "Maybe— maybe I am only a reflex of Katherine"

"Excuse me?"

Elena bit her lip before explaining herself "You couldn't save her so you want to save me" She whispered "You couldn't have her so you want me"

Damon released a startled laugh that made her eyes snap back to him "Forgive me Bonita, but that is the most stupid thing I've ever heard"

Her olive skin flushed as she pushed at his chest in an attempt to move, an angry vein on her forehead appearing as her eyes clouded with rage "Fuck you, Damon!"

Damon released another small laugh as he tried to contain her forceful shoves "Len, come on. Are you for real?" One of his arms secured her to his body while the other went to her face, his finger grabbing her chin and forcing her to look back at him "Do you know when was the first time I loved you?" He asked and felt her going still in his arms "It was when I saw you crying in that awful white puffy dress, you had a flowery headband that was putting too much pressure on your head and tears kept spilling out of your eyes as you watched your father marrying my mother"

"Damon…"

His features softened in a way that was so unnatural to him that Elena could do nothing but stare at him, mesmerized by the tenderness she saw in his eyes "I loved you then, my heart felt something I couldn't explain, something that had been dead forever, so I held your hand" His lips twisted in a lopsided grin, his gaze shining with memories "I held your hand and it felt right, and right there I swore to myself I would do anything in my power to protect you. You are not a reflex of anything, you are you and I love you for it"

Elena looked back at him, loss at words after what he said so she just let her head fall into his shoulder, her legs circling his waist as she clung into him "I'm sick of this, sick of being here of everything"

Damon sighed tiredly as his hands busied going up and down her back "It'll be over soon enough" He said and prayed his words would become true, he wanted for everything to be over if he lived or died he wanted to happen already, waiting at the edge of a catastrophe he couldn't escape was the worst kind of torture and he didn't want Elena to live in it anymore.

"You promise?" Her voice was soft and muffled by the skin of his bare shoulder "You promise we'll someday live in a small fishing Italian village and swim in the sea every day"

Damon felt something twist in his chest at her words and tightened his arms around her frame "I promise you" He whispered into her ear as he held her against his chest "I promise you"

* * *

**Did you like it? Please review and I apologize for any typos.**


	26. He didn't take the time to lie

**_Hellooo!_**

**_That was quick, right? I must say, social distancing does has its perks and one of them is that my muse seems to be on the loose. Anyway, here's one more chapter, I am sad to announce we are on our way towards the end! Thank you so much for supporting me through this all.  
_**

**_Wherever you are in the world, please stay safe and protect yourselves. Some of us can't take the luxury to stop going to work but if you can please take advantage of it and stay home if you must go to work use the equipment necessary for your protection. I hope things are getting better wherever you are.  
_**

**_Now, please enjoy, forgive me for any typos and let me know what you think._**

* * *

_I was five and he was six__, w__e rode on horses made of sticks__  
__He wore black and I wore white__, h__e would always win the fight_

_._

_._

Eyes wide open stared at the tall ceiling above her, the soft hum of the air conditioner rivaled the one of her breathing, she breathed in and absorbed the smell of cinnamon and apples that drifted out of the diffuser placed in the nightstand next to the black analog clock that signaled four in the morning, she couldn't have known otherwise because it had been an entire week since the last time she saw the sunlight.

She sat upright and clutched the bed sheet to her chest as she allowed her eyes to wander around the dark room, the side of the bed where he rested was cold now, which let her know it must have been a couple of hours since he left her.

"_We have a delivery to intercept"_ He had whispered the words into her half-awake brain as he skimmed his lips over hers and traced the outline of one her nipples over the sheet "I'll see you in the morning" Her eyes had closed again when she heard the door of the bedroom slam shut and had woken only seconds earlier disoriented and with a bitter taste in the roof of her mouth.

Elena was restless; her feet ached to wander outside, her face longed to feel the warm rays of the sun, she was locked in the same cage she had run from her entire life and a part of her didn't want to be set free, a small part of her wanted to remain locked away where things like violence and truth couldn't hurt her, cocooned in the safeness of her lover's embrace and the sweet words he murmured as he moved inside her.

With a resigned sigh Elena removed the bedsheets from her naked body and stood up, her hands finding the silky nightgown that was thrown into the floor in the midst of consuming passion, the cold fabric slid down her body and made her feel alone and empty. She shivered and went to retrieve a pair of clean panties and an old sweatshirt that belonged to Damon, his scent enveloping and easing the emptiness inside her.

Knowing sleep was a retreating friend Elena slipped out of the room and headed in direction of the small kitchen, her eyebrows raising in surprise when she spotted the blonde girl sitting in the table, a bowl of cereal in front of her.

"Hey" Elena murmured trying to mask the surprise in her voice; she didn't think Stefan would cave so soon as to let the girl wander around alone in the safe house.

"Hi," Caroline said in a small voice as she fixed her eyes in the bowl in front of her, Elena felt a nasty feeling crawling inside her as she stared at the broken expression in the young girl's face, long gone were the vivacious blue eyes of the girl who chatted a bit too much.

Stefan had given her free rein because he had broken her enough to know she wouldn't try to run away.

Elena went to the small fridge placed in the corner of the kitchen and retrieved a small container of her favorite yogurt "Can't sleep?" She asked as she sat down in front of the blonde girl.

"I can't sleep anymore" Caroline murmured as he glanced at her before returning to stare at the food in front of her.

"It'll get better" Elena sighed absently before taking the first bite of the yogurt in her hand.

"Will it?" The other woman asked as she dropped the spoon she had been holding into the still filled with cereal bowl "Stefan says he did all of this for me" She said and Elena wanted to laugh at the innocence in her voice, she believed Stefan loved the girl but she wasn't fool enough to believe her well-being was everything the younger Salvatore brother was after "That Markos was working with some really bad people, with—your father"

Bile rose in her throat at the mention of John Gilbert, though the small part of her that wanted to hold onto the innocence of her childhood refused to accept her father was the monster Damon painted him to be, the jaded part of her knew there was nothing but the truth in her lover's words.

"That's what I've been told" She chose to answer, not wanting to dwell anymore in her wishes and desires.

Caroline's eyes were fixed on her now, blue pools filled with unmasked fear "Is it truth? What he does?" Elena shrugged and averted her eyes; Caroline sensed she was uncomfortable with the subject so she went back to their previous topic "I don't know what to think of it, he says he loves me"

"Do you?"

The blonde girl sighed as she leaned back in her chair, a curl escaped her ponytail and she blew it away as her eyes moved once again towards Elena "I used to but now—I don't know if I could ever love a man like him"

Elena felt something squeeze in her chest at the blonde's admission, at the same thoughts that had swirled inside her head many times only to be vanquished with one look of the ocean blue eyes that tormented her,

"Well that's something I know about"

"No, you don't"

The bitterness behind the blonde's words surprise Elena, an eyebrow raised in her direction as she asked for clarification "Sorry?"

Caroline gave her an apologetic half-smile "I've seen you around him Elena" She said "You don't mind what he does, who he is. You are unconditional to him in a way I could never be. He owns you and he knows it"

"_And you don't know shit" _Elena wanted to scream at her but decided against it, how could Caroline understand the bond she and Damon had? How could anyone understand what it was to share a soul with someone else? No one could ever comprehend the twisted relationship she and Damon had because no one had experienced what they had together.

Elena's mouth opened to release a smartass reply but the sound of something crashing in the distance stopped her words from coming out "What was that?" Caroline asked anxiously seconds before she stood up from the chair.

The screeching sound of the wood against the floor resonated in the otherwise quiet space; Elena threw a glance to the other girl as she took a finger to her lips "Shh" She mouthed.

Another crash resounded in the quietness of the night and was followed by the muffled sound of male voices; Elena knew immediately that they belonged to neither Stefan nor Damon.

The brunette stood up from her chair with quiet slow movements and went to stand in front of the fridge "Elena?" Caroline asked as he watched her stand up on her tiptoes to reach the top of the fridge "Elena what are you doing?"

Elena grabbed what she had been looking for and turned around to hiss in direction of the blonde girl "Shut up Caroline!" Her gaze went to the hallway she knew would lead them to the only safe exit at the same time she removed the safe from the gun she had retrieved from the fridge.

"_You know what to do in case something goes wrong" _Damon had whispered the words two nights ago as they snuggled underneath the covers of their bedroom, their bodies slick with sweat and hearts racing from the ecstasy, Elena had wanted to shut down his words so she had allowed her hand to wander to the softening member between his legs.

But she hadn't forgotten, his instructions were burned in her brain like every single thing he ever taught her through the years.

Elena grabbed the blonde by the elbow and mouthed for her to be quiet as they tiptoed their way around the kitchen and into the dark hallway, the sound of footsteps reached their ears letting her know someone indeed had managed to breach the security of the place.

The brunette saw the old looking door leading to the basement and rushed towards her with Caroline still firmly secured by her side, the wood made no sound as it opened and she hurried the blonde inside when she heard a voice she recognized.

"You sure this is the right location" The man who was her best friend's father said, making the hairs at the back of her neck stand up. Caroline stared at her from the step she was standing in and tugged her arm so she would follow but Elena raised a finger in a waiting sign.

"Do I look like an idiot to you" Elena's blood ran cold as she heard her father's voice "Salvatore isn't near as clever as he thinks he is but he'll regret crossing me, when I get my hands on my whore of a daughter he'll wish he was never born"

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she finally paid attention to Caroline's tugging hand, she shut the door behind them with as much care as she could and then followed the blonde down the stairs, her whole body numb as the words kept swirling inside her brain.

How could that man be the same who was supposed to care for her? Protect her? Fear gripped as once again the thought of what her life would have been if Damon never arrived into her life plagued her, she didn't realize her body was trembling until she felt Caroline's squeezing her hand.

"Are you all right?" The blonde asked in a whisper and Elena had to force herself to nod in return, though she was far from all right. Elena was about to tell the blonde girl where they should turn next she felt a pair of arms holding her from behind.

A scream built in her throat as she saw another pair of arms around the blonde girl but a voice in her ear stopped her from doing so "Shhh" Enzo whispered as he moved her body "This way"

Elena gave a nod to the trembling blonde in front of her to let her know they could trust Enzo and who she now noticed was Kol Mikaelson "What is happening?" She whispered as Damon's second-hand man led them towards the exit gate.

The dark-haired man grunted "Ambush, turns out there was no delivery"

Elena stopped in front of the gate and gave Enzo a questioning look "How did you—"

He rolled his eyes at her distrust "Front is packed with his men, Damon said you were aware of the escape route" Elena stared at him for a couple of seconds as she tried to gauge how much she could trust him, her fingers tightening around the gun which remained in her hand, but before she had time to decide what to do he pushed open the gate and they stepped into the woods, a black van was right in front and as the door opened Elena recognized the face of Meredith Fell

"What happened to him?" She asked in alarm but Enzo didn't answer, he only pushed her inside with Caroline following behind.

"Elena…" The blonde asked in panic as the screeching sounds of the tires resonated in their ears.

The brunette gave her a sympathetic look and brought her into her body "Shh come here, it's going to be okay Caroline" She hugged her in a way someone would do a child and stroked her hair as they went far away from what had been their prison for the last couple of days "It's going to be okay"

.

_Seasons came and changed the time.__  
__When I grew up, I called him mine__  
__He would always laugh and say:__  
__"Remember when we used to play?"_

_._

The entire ride was spent in silence except for the occasional sobs leaving Caroline's mouth, she was lying on Elena's lap and the brunette could feel her body trembling as the car moved. Elena was leaning back on her seat, her eyes trained in the car's roof since the tainted window didn't allow her to see anything outside and she didn't feel like staring at Meredith the entire ride, the young doctor always assisted her step-brothers and was someone to be trusted but Elena didn't forget that she had also shared Damon's bed on occasion and that was a hard pill to swallow.

Elena tried not to think about her step-brother turned lover too much because she was afraid if she did something was going to break inside her, Enzo's silence and Meredith's presence were enough to let her know he was injured and while she had seen her fair share of injures in his body through the years, the anxiety it caused was too much to bear with her poor state of mind.

The young girl couldn't comprehend how her life had come crashing down in a matter of days, how everything she believed to be in perfect order had tumbled down like domino pieces. Now she couldn't escape her father's words and the venom that dripped from each one, couldn't escape the feel of the needle Damon injected in her neck and the manic look in Stefan's eyes as he stepped into the warehouse, Elena had always known who her family was but only now she realized that despite it all she had never seen the true monsters who lurked beneath.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't realize the vehicle had stopped until the door was snatched open and she found Stefan's hazel gaze, with narrowed eyes she watched as Caroline threw herself at him, her arms securing around his neck as she sobbed into his shirt.

"_Poor little fool, I'm not the only one who is owned by one of them," _Elena thought bitterly, the words from their earlier conversation coming back to her _"You'll never be free now"_

Elena didn't expect for any instructions and instead jumped out of the van from the side opposite Stefan, her bare feet touched the gravel and, she cursed mentally at her lack of shoes.

"Come"

She turned her head to the sound of Enzo's voice, who was now leaning against the van with an outstretched hand towards her "He'll want to see you" Elena nodded but refused his offering hand. As they walked she tried to absorb as much as she could from her surroundings but once again there was nothing but deep forest, an opulent old looking house rising before them, Elena didn't need to think twice to know this property didn't belong to the Salvatore.

Elena followed Enzo through a dark hallway, her dirty and harmed feet thanked the change of seething and the plush comfort the deep red carpet offered, as they ventured further into the house the young girl saw many unknown faces, stoic looking men stood ups straight, holster guns protected at their sides, she tried not to shudder at the sight they presented.

At last, they finally stopped in front of a dark rich wooden door "Go, he'll kill us if we take longer than necessary" With those last words the dark-haired man bowed to her and headed back in the direction they had come from, Elena wasted no time and pushed open the heavy door.

He was lying on top of an opulent plush bed, pillows were stacked behind him and thick white gauze covered his shoulder, her stomach dropped as she spotted the red wetness drenching his bandage and the paleness of his lips.

"Jesus Damon" She murmured as she rushed to him, her hands abandoning the gun on top of the nightstand and taking hold of his hands, bringing them to her lips.

He winced at the movement "You make it look worse than it is" His words were faltering, sweat covering his upper lip as he spoke.

Elena threw a glance in direction of the door wondering why the doctor hadn't followed behind her "Meredith is here, she's—"

Damon interrupted her with a squeeze of his hand, his lips curving in a half-smile as he stared up at her "I know where she is but I wanted to see you first"

Elena's nostrils flared at his admission and the irresponsibility behind them "You fool" She muttered as she took one hand to his cheek and cupped it gently "How bad is it?"

"Nothing I can't survive" He winked at her and something inside her eased at his nonchalant attitude, Damon could be an arrogant bastard sometimes and she never felt more grateful for it than at the moment when he used that particular trait to calm her nerves "I would have gone to get you myself but…" His words trailed off, dark shadows crossing his face.

Elena nodded before leaning down to press a quick kiss to his chapped lips "I know" She said and allowed her forehead to remain next to his for a couple of seconds "I saw my father"

His jaw clenched and nostrils flared "The rat— I can't believe we were fool enough to fall into his trap" He released a deep sigh while Elena straightened, one of her hands still grasping tightly into one of his "Turns out he's had an insider among us, which explains a lot actually"

Damon's eyes searched hers, blue pools filled with shame and regret bore down on hers, a million of emotions splayed across his features "I feared— I was truly scared this time"

A small proud smile stretched across Elena's lips "I wasn't" She admitted and almost laughed at the eyebrow he raised in her direction, instead she leaned down once again, her lips millimeters away from his "If someone's ever going to kill me it'll be you, not them"

Damon released a sharp intake of breath "Len..."

No one would ever understand the sick bond she and Damon shared and she didn't care for them to do it, the last couple of days had served her to realize no one else in the world would ever understand her but him, no one could ever accept the darkness that lay doormat in her.

"I accept" She whispered against his mouth and saw his eyes widen in response "Your plan, I agree to it"

His arm moved until his hand found itself cupping the back of her head "You realize what you're agreeing to?"

Elena nodded as she took a glance at the blood that still flowed from his wound, knowing it was time for Meredith to step in "I do and I wouldn't want it any other way" She said before pulling away and moving to stand.

His hand shot to hers and forced her to stop before she could turn around "I love you" The shadows seemed to disappear from his face at that moment and Elena felt warmness seething into her very bones.

"And I love you"

She gave his hand one last squeeze and went to the door, he needed medical attention and though she hated to admit it Meredith was the right choice for the job, plus she didn't care about petty jealousy anymore, she owned Damon as much as he owned her and no one was going to take him away from her.

_Bang bang, that awful sound  
Bang bang, my baby shot me down_


	27. Love is our resistance

**Another quick update, yay!**

**Hope you like this one, forgive me for any typos you may find, please let me know what you think and enjoy!**

* * *

_"If we live a life in fear, I'll wait a thousand years just to see you smile again_  
_Kill your prayers for love and peace. You'll wake the thought police._  
_We can't hide the truth inside"_

**-Muse-**

**.**

**.**

An insolent smirk adorned his face as he stared at the blonde detective, her clear eyes blazed with fury as her gaze moved from him to his companion and the fact he knew how much she loathed to be in their presence gave him some sort of sick satisfaction.

If someone had told Damon Salvatore two years ago that the detective who was always one centimeter behind his step-father's ass was going to be in front of him forecasting the old man's downfall he would have laughed, but here he was now, making his grandfather proud once and for all.

"Are you sure he'll take the bait?" The woman asked, apprehension was present in both her gaze and one of the officers standing by the door, hand pressed against the gun secured at his waist.

Damon leaned back in the cream-colored couch, nonchalance dripping from his every move, one of the first lessons his grandfather had given him was how to bluff, so he was not about to let the detective know how much he feared their plan was going to backfire.

"John Gilbert has managed to get the upper hand almost every single time but that stops now, trust me, detective, if we put the cheese he won't stop himself from getting it," He said trying to showcase confidence he wasn't feeling, yet he believed this was the only way to finally catch the man who had tormented him for most of his life.

The plan he and the Mikaelson had spent the last year developing was already on the move but they didn't want to give John the time to sniff it out and hide somewhere like he knew the old man would do if he caught a whiff of what was about to happen. They had been lucky enough that despite he fully trusted Alaric Saltzman and his devotion to the organization Damon hadn't told him the full extent of their plan or everything would be over now, given that the blonde man was the one who screw them over.

Just thinking about the man who Damon once believed to be his only friend made his blood sizzle, despite the fact Stefan was dealing with him at this very moment and knew he would no longer be an issue to them Damon still couldn't remove the sting his betrayal had left behind.

Unbeknownst to his inner turmoil Liz Forbes pinned him to the spot with a hard glare, a hidden question lurking beneath her blue eyes "And every single of the members are on board with this?"

Damon's body tightened at the implication that accompanied her words, he knew that the risks were too high but it had been _her_ idea after all and he was trying to show her the respect she so much asked for "Every single one"

The detective nodded in response before hunching forward, elbows leaning on her knees while she gave them a sharp glance "I loathe you, the whole lot of you" She said through gritted teeth, disgust evident in her every word "You are nothing but a cancer to this nation, to the world. You may think that dismantling this organization is altruist, that the scrapes you give to the people in need to keep them on your side is an act of goodwill but I can see beneath you. You want power, you want money and you don't care about anything else but getting what you want" Her face contracted in a repulsed scowl and Damon felt a shot of admiration for this woman and the braveness she showcased, she was in front of two members of the most dangerous criminal organizations of the world and she was not afraid to speak her mind.

Not sharing his appreciation for the woman, Nikklaus Mikaelson who had been a silent bystander up to this moment released a bored snort, twinkling mischievous eyes staring at the detective "I am sorry to interrupt such a heartfelt monologue Mrs. Forbes, but why don't you tell us something we don't know?"

Her nostrils flared in response to his cheeky attitude "We might be working together today because there's an even bigger evil lurking in the shadows, because—"

"Because you've been commanded to" The words that slipped out of Damon's mouth were accompanied by a lazy smile, up until their little alliance the sheriff had been oblivious to how deep into politics they were and how many of the people she believed to be clean weren't so much after all.

Liz Forbes went rigid at this, a storm spilling out of her clear blue eyes as she moved them back and forth between Damon and Klaus "Once this is over I will hunt you down, I do not fear any of you so you can be sure I will not let this go"

Klaus nodded, his face losing the playful expression of earlier and sobering up "We wouldn't dream of it. That was the deal"

"And I want my daughter back"

Damon shook his head as he made a tsking sound with his tongue "I am afraid that won't be possible" Liz Forbes mouth opened to speak but the eldest Salvatore stopped her with a raised hand in her direction "Before you start, just think about Caroline's safety. I can assure you my brother is protecting her, we have more resources, more men, she is virtually safer with us than she'll be on your hands"

"Or have you forgotten how easy it was for Markos, snatching her from underneath you?" Klaus added and Damon was almost sorry for the way Liz's face fell.

He was sure that the woman wouldn't forgive herself for being too naïve to realize Markos had been bought by John, the looming idea of the imminent danger her daughter had befallen whether the Salvatore's hadn't interfered still kept her awake at night, Damon understood that all too well because he cursed himself many times over for underestimating John Gilbert.

Bringing Damon out of his dark thoughts Klaus, slapped his hands against his knees and stood up, signaling their meeting was over. He gave Liz one last lingering look "Don't be proud detective, accept we are on the right this time" It surprised Damon that the other man's words lacked the bite or sarcasm that characterized them, but he guessed that Klaus also understood perfectly the guilt and frustration of seeing someone you loved in pain because you failed to protect them.

Damon followed suit and the men abandoned the meeting spot leaving a very rattled Liz Forbes behind, the dark-haired man felt an overwhelming need to wrap Elena in his arms and remain locked away with her the rest of the afternoon, the detective struck face had left him in distress and he wanted to make sure Elena was safe and sound where no one could hurt her.

The looming threat of what approach them filled him with dread and the idea of parting with her was simply unbearable.

"Do you think Stefan will manage the keep the girl on our side?" Klaus Mikaelson voice snapped him out of his dark thoughts, a questioning eyebrow raised in his direction as they walked the length back to their vehicle.

Damon allowed a confident smirk to play across his lips "That is a given my friend, and having her we also have Liz Forbes in our pocket"

If what he had seen the days before between his brother and the blonde girl was any indication, they wouldn't have any issue keeping Caroline playing for their side, Stefan had refused to participate in his agreement which concerned him but he also understood to some extent, he only wished their paths didn't have to fork after everything they had gone through together.

* * *

The softness of her hair tickled his bare chest as she lay on top of it, the locks that used to fall a little over her chin now reached her shoulders and gave her a more innocent air, it amazed him, how the mere style of her hair was a time capsule to simpler times, lying in the sun next to her as they spent the summer in Colombia.

"I didn't like you being up and about so soon after your injury" She commented as her fingers traced the bandage still covering the side of his shoulder "You should be here resting"

"I'll rest when I die"

"Not funny"

He chuckled lightly as he tightened his arms around her frame "It was just a scratch, I told you. I'm feeling brand new"

"Just a scratch" She muttered and he didn't even need to look at her face to know she was rolling her eyes at him. "Are you sure we can trust them?" The hesitation in the question and the weary look on her eyes as she abandoned his chest to stare at him brought him back to the present, away from sunny careless days "They are supposed to be our enemies"

Damon smiled sheepishly as he reached for her and placed a lock of her hair behind her ear, she was lying on her stomach now, her chin resting on top of her arms which were now placed above his chest "Says who? The territory is vast and I don't see why we can't split it, the hunger for more power is always the reason why great empires fall. Greed is not a good emotion"

Her eye darkened as she mulled over his words "It all gets blurry. Who should we trust, who shouldn't. World gets harder each day" Elena's head went to rest in his neck, her lips kissing the skin there softly as she snuggled into him, their legs tangled beneath the silk peach colored sheets. "I just want it all to be over"

Damon's hand traced patterns on her bare back, his eyes half-closing at the pleasure her breathing against the skin of his neck brought "It'll never be over" He murmured absently.

"It will be if we succeed" She answered, "Or are you changing your mind?" Her head moved away from his neck so she could stare up at him once again, a question hiding beneath the chocolate orbs of her eyes.

Damon sighed tiredly while he threw his head back, eyes focusing on the wine red pattern painted on the ceiling "I know what I want, I've worked hard to get here…"

"But…?"

"Stefan worries me"

Elena sighed as she rolled away from his body, her back meeting the mattress on the spot next to him "He knows about it and yet wishes to have no part in it"

Damon swallowed deeply, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he tried to find the exact words to say. He had been doing a lot of thinking in the last couple of days and revaluating a lot of the life choices he had made so far, the result had left him with a bitter taste in his throat and achiness in his heart that was often too hard to bear.

"I am not proud of the man I am Elena, of what I've done" He confessed, the staccato sound of his voice seemed to echo among the four walls "What I've done to survive, for power, for money, for love" At this, he threw a glance in her direction and then felt her lacing her fingers through his "This is who I was supposed to be; what my grandfather wanted me to be and for a while, I thought this was what I wanted too"

He had promised, as his grandfather lay in bed dying Damon had promised to overthrown John Gilbert and become the most feared mafia man, leading New York and the Colombian cartel but his grandfather always expected too much from him. Damon was no Mafia Don, he was a hitman, and yet he had promised.

But he no longer wanted to fulfill promises he made for someone else's sake, promises made to people who never thought about him and what he needed, this time around he wanted to fulfill his promise to the one person who had given him her whole and feared that was the one promise he wouldn't be able to keep.

Damon moved so he was lying on his side, propped on his elbow so he could stare into her soft features "For a while I got lost among the glamour and the adrenaline it brought with it but once you realize the truth you see… this is nothing but smoke and mirrors, and it eats at you, it eats away piece by piece of your soul until there's nothing left"

"Damon…" She reached to him, her hand cupping his jaw and her eyes watered with unshed tears. It never ceased to amaze him, how Elena could feel his pain as if it was her own.

"I never wanted this for my brother, truly," He told her "I tried to protect him, to keep him away from him but—but once I truly took notice I realized it was too late, the claws were in too deep"

Stefan had been fifteen the first time Damon saw the manic darkness shining in his eyes and he had fooled himself believing he could still bring back his brother from the darkness; that he would swallow that darkness for himself and his brother would remain untouched, but he had been wrong because his brother craved the darkness as much as the darkness did him.

It was a family curse, one they could never break.

"Stefan longs for this world, he thrives on the power and delight on the blood" He voiced his thoughts to Elena, the fear that gripped him when he thought about his brother "I do too, to some extent I believe but not with the same intensity. This world will never leave him and he would never leave it either"

Elena's deep brown eyes stared up at him, her hand still caressing his jaw "I love him, you know that" She said "He's my brother and he was there for me when— we've shared so many things Damon but I—I want a chance, a chance to do it right this time" The hope that shone in her eyes a couple of hours earlier dimmed down as she acknowledged a truth both of them were too afraid to speak out loud "But I cannot ask you to give up on your brother"

Damon closed his eyes as he moved so their foreheads touched "You are too precious for this world, you know that?"

She released a small chuckle before moving closer so her legs were once again tangled among his "I often think you place me too high on your pedestal"

Damon's eyes shot open, endless blue storing away every piece of her "You are everything good in my life Elena and that is the absolute truth. Without you—" He sighed "…I would have been lost a long time ago"

A sad smile splayed across her lips, her thumb rubbing his bottom lip in a tender gesture "You are lost Damon, you are my black sheep" She told him "But I will always find the way to bring you back to me"

"I always feared that one day you couldn't bring me back" He confessed, his voice filled with child-like vulnerability "That you wouldn't wish to do it"

"Damon…"

"What I did when I brought you here…" He grabbed her by the back of her neck, bringing her even closer to him as if he wanted her to merge into him "It will haunt me to the day I die, Elena, I just wanted to keep you safe, that's all I ever wanted"

"I know" Her voice was muffled against the skin of his neck

"I wish I could be someone else, someone you deserve," He said "But I am monster, I had to become one if I wanted to survive, I am the monster stories always told you to stay away"

Elena kissed the tender skin of his neck with a gutlessness that almost made him want to weep "You are mine and I am yours" Her lips created a path from his neck to his mouth, butterfly kisses that made his toes curl "And I love you all the same, monster or not"

He sighed into her mouth as their lips connected and everything ugly inside him got lost inside that darkness that always receded when she was close to him. Damon had been born into darkness but by some sick twist of fate, the light had arrived into his life, warm and bright in the shape of a little girl with flowers in her hair.

He had dragged her into the darkness with him, had tortured her soul, and tainted her heart, and yet the light didn't die down, it was still so bright that looking at her sometimes became painful. Now she was willing to give up that light to remain with him, to drown into the darkness he was to stay at his side and he couldn't allow it, no matter what he felt he would not let her give up on the light that was part of her and he sure as hell wasn't willing to let go of her either.


	28. The most terrifying question

**Hello there!**

**Thank you all so much for reading, sadly we only have two chapters more before this story is over, hopefully, you'll like the direction I'm taking it, I want to hear what you have to say, please leave me review and enjoy!**

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"_When the nightmare grows black enough, horror spawns horror, one coincidental evil begets another, often more deliberate evils, until finally blackness seems to cover everything. __And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still maintain a wakeful, staring, unrelenting sanity"_

_._

**-Stephen King-**

**.**

The sound of gunfire was a distant echo she attributed to dreamland, her face nuzzled further into the covers as she tried to quiet down the sound reaching her ears, she had barely slept the night before while arguing with Damon about their plan before he had to take off to oversee a shipment arrival with Stefan, which meant right now she only wanted a couple of hours of sleep so she could function like a normal human being.

Shouts and mumbled voices echoed in her ears, a frown marring her forehead as the fog in her heard started dissipating; the sound of gunfire approached and Elena's eyes snapped open, her senses on high alert as the realization of the situation hit her.

It had come sooner than expected.

She threw the covers away from her body and scrambled out of bed, she kneeled immediately and reached for the box Damon had stashed under, her hands tore open the lid and pulled out a small silver gun, the steel cold on her bare hands.

Elena looked for her slippers and slid her feet inside, later she would laugh at the normalcy of such an act in the middle of an attack. She got closer to the door and placed her ear against the wood, shouts were nearing and a fraction of a minute in complete panic passed before she decided she needed to leave the room and reach for Caroline.

The hallway was dark as she stepped outside, she hadn't thought about checking the hour but she guessed it was still way too early for someone to be up, they had been ambushed and though she knew it was coming the realization of it send vile rising her throat. Her feet were quiet as she neared the blonde girl's room, her fingers secured around her gun as she gently pushed open the door only to reveal an empty bed and tousled sheets.

"Caroline?" Elena whispered almost expecting to find the other girl hiding under the bed or locked inside the closet but the response she got was an arm around her middle and a hand over her mouth.

The gun slipped out of her hand and she cursed herself as she acknowledged what was happening, Damon would be so ashamed of her killer skills, the thought was brief and almost comical as she felt the chloroform that dampened the cloth over her nose take effect, making her unaware of everything around her.

* * *

It was like a déjà vu. Her eyes opened to stare into an old rotten wooden ceiling, a stale smell surrounded her making her gag. She was awkwardly lying on top of an old dirty bed, her wrists bound with chains to the bars of the headboard making her skin feel raw and hot.

"Sleeping beauty is up" The voice that spoke startled her and her eyes roamed frantically around the room, her mind still receding from the fogginess that overwhelmed her.

A man chuckled nearby and her eyes tried to adjust to the dimly lit bedroom until she spotted a dark-suited man standing a few feet from her, a teasing smile painted in his face, cold maniac eyes staring back at her and making her skin break into goosebumps.

"Might want to share some comforting words with your friend back there, I think she may need them?" The man said as he glanced to the other side of the room where Elena was now able to see Caroline bound to a wooden chair "Forgive the treatment" The man said as he gestured to the steel around her wrists "We guessed you'll be the one to put on a fight"

As if it had been exactly what he wanted, Elena rattled the chains around her wrists, an angry snarl leaving her lips "You son of a bitch" She hissed as she managed to kneel on the bed to lessen the pain in her wrists "I know you, you are Mikael"

The disquieting smile seemed to stretch wider into his face "A pleasure to meet you Elena Gilbert" His words were accompanied by a small flourish "You are quite the legend, La Parca's Achilles heel; we certainly didn't expect him to have one"

Elena's heart dropped to her stomach at the mention of Damon, she threw a quick worried glance in direction of Caroline before fixing her eyes back on Mikael again, surely Damon would be on his way now, he wouldn't let them harm her, she had to believe that.

"Well then you know what is coming from you"

Mikael threw his head back and released a boisterous laugh, the unsettling sound echoing in the empty walls "Oh no principessa, you should be more worried about the things that are coming your way" Wicked eyes roamed over the length of her body as he moved closer "Loverboy is already being taken care of"

Elena scrambled back until her back bumped into the headboard, her knees rising in front of her as a form of shield, she was half-aware of Caroline crying from across the room but she couldn't take a minute to spare a glance, her eyes were now fixed on Mikael who towered over her.

His breath was of stale beer and cigarettes, sweat marred his brow and upper lip, the suit he was wearing while expensive-looking was crumpled and dirty, the man possessed none of the elegant exquisiteness his children had.

His face went to her neck, his lips touching her skin and making her stomach churn "How sweet your fear smells, I can't wait to have you. Your father has been promising me you for a long time; I know I'll have a great deal fun once I collect my prize" One of his hands grabbed her right breast, squeezing it through the thin silk material of her pajama top, fingers pinching her nipple and making her want to gag in response. With a rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins Elena bit into his ear, her teeth clamping on the skin until she felt the tangy taste of blood on her tongue.

Mikael pulled away from her body with an angry growl, his hand going to his bleeding ear at the same time Elena spit the blood in her mouth at him.

The man's eyes turned murderous seconds before he closed his fist and hit her right on the nose, Elena felt the world tumbling out of focus as another punch caught her on the cheek this time. Caroline's cries became louder; Elena felt the blood dripping from her nose and tried to keep her focus on the man standing near her.

"Keep them coming, I like them feisty" He snarled at her before taking his attention to the crying blonde girl "You want to keep yourself quiet blondie unless you want one of your own"

Elena stared up at him, the metallic taste of her blood coating her lips "I'll enjoy seeing you die"

The manic smirk was back on his face as he stared at her, his body started going for her again when the sound of heavy footsteps reached them. He straightened his back and winked playfully in her direction before addressing Caroline as well "While talking with your ladies has been the epitome of my day, it seems my shift is over"

His form moved towards the door and Elena felt something easing inside her, she didn't realize she was shaking until the sound of rattling metal caught her attention and she noticed it was her binds against the headboard bars.

Elena heard hushed conversation outside the door where Mikael had disappeared moments earlier before it burst open again and a man she knew her whole life walked inside.

His entire demeanor was relaxed, he was wearing a dark blue suit and had his hair styled as if he was going to a party. Elena felt some kind of hope flaring inside her as she stared up at the man who had bought her first dollhouse.

As if somehow he sensed the blur of emotions swirling inside her, he took his attention to her, a warm smile on his lips as he approached her "Hello sweetheart, I must admit it's great seeing you after so long"

"Daddy…"

"The the same" He shook his head as he took in her appearance, his hand pulling out a handkerchief from inside his coat and leaning towards her so he could gently clean the blood that stained her face "Ugh this is such a mess, I might have to remind him to keep his temper in check, luckily it won't leave any scar"

Elena closed her eyes and started crying, hating herself for breaking down like this "Why are you doing this?"

He released a disappointed sigh as he sat down on the dirty looking mattress, his hands twisting the now soiled handkerchief "Well, you choosing the wrong side certainly didn't help, my dear" He said "What did you expect me to do? You disrespected me greatly when you choose to roll around Damon Salvatore's sheets instead of remaining loyal to your family"

Elena felt nausea building up in her throat "The Salvatore are my family"

His eyes became hard as he stared at her, the sweet caring man from her childhood disappearing completely "No Elena, they are not. The greatest mistake of my life was marrying into that bloody family" He admitted before releasing a pensive sigh and moving his eyes away from her, placing them somewhere in the opposite wall "It all seemed perfect at the beginning you know, Isabella was a goddess in bed, she did things to me your mother couldn't even imagine"

"…Please stop"

"She was so passionate, and I must admit the thrill of fucking her in the bed she slept with her husband was tremendous but the thrill of getting my hands in the Colombian cartel was even better"

Elena balled her hands into fists, she felt physically ill at the proximity she had with the man in front of her, the scrapes of hope that had flared inside her minutes earlier died down as the words left his mouth, anger, and disgust growing inside her like a poisonous vine.

He gave her a cruel smirk, cold eyes staring back at her as he leaned closer to her as if wanting to tell her a secret "Your mother took too long to die if you ask me, but it needed to be like that to remain clear of any suspicion, she was a well-beloved woman in New York society"

"No, no stop" A sob broke out of Elena's throat; she closed her eyes in an attempt to erase the cruelness of his stare. She pictured her mother, beautiful and elegant, her soft voice singing her to sleep and her gentle hands braiding her hair in the mornings and felt something tearing up inside her, a hole so wide she feared it could never be filled.

"The poison was slow and so very painful, but sacrifices had to be made" He continued, ignoring for complete the pain he was putting her in "It was the perfect plan, but I didn't count of the dark nature of that boy, I foolishly believed I could manipulate him to my bidding. His father was a spineless twat, what else could be expected from him? But I was wrong, that damned boy came out as his grandfather" His entire expression changed as he spoke about Damon, anger overwhelming his features "He ruined things for me for so long, but not anymore. I've been too patient, waiting for the right time to finally take him down with me and it seems like luck has finally smiled up at me"

Tear stained eyes bore down on him "You're a monster"

He chuckled in response before standing up "We're all monsters when it comes down to it Elena, you should have learned that by now" His words were accompanied by a pitiful look "The world is a cruel dark place and only the toughest can survive"

Elena bit her lip to contain the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. How could she had been so fool as to believe there was even a fraction of kindness in this man? How could she and everyone else be so blind to his cruelness? Her heart broke when she thought about her poor mother, murdered by the man who had promised to love her and protect her.

"I hate you" The cold and hollow words slipped out of her mouth without her realizing it.

John crooked his head to the side, a gleeful yet thoughtful look present on his face as he stared down at her "Oh sweet child, we could have done great things together you and me" His fingers went to caress the tangled locks of her hair, his touch alien and unwanted to her "You could have been the queen of this empire but you settled yourself with being just a common Principessa" He leaned down and pressed his lips into her forehead in a forceful kiss before straightening up and throwing at her the handkerchief stained with her blood "You may excuse me please, it seems I have some pressing affairs to deal with but I'll leave you in very capable hands"

Without another word or spare glance in her direction, he turned around and disappeared behind the door once again. Elena wanted nothing more than break down in tears right there, to curl into herself and allow the pitiful sobs that were building inside her to be released, to remain there completely inert until Damon came to save day but she knew she couldn't, because breaking down was not an option, it was not what Damon had thought her.

Instead of that she inhaled deeply and searched with her eyes for her blonde friend "Caroline… are you all right? Have they hurt you?"

The other girl sniffled as she returned her look "Elena… I'm scared" Her voice was small and fearful and Elena cursed at Stefan for dragging the poor innocent girl into such a soiled piece of the world.

Despite the distance, Elena was able to spot the red tender skin around the blonde's wrists and ankles were the rope was cutting into her skin "Don't worry Caroline; it's all going to be okay"

"You promise?"

"I promise"

The sound of a sinister bout of laughter startled them both, their gazes moving to the door from where Mikael had slipped inside without them noticing it, Elena was aware of the distant sound of a car speeding out but nothing more, not even the wind dared to make noise that night.

Mikael gave Caroline an amused glance "I know your mom, some serious shit that woman. You must be such an embarrassment" He told her as he moved closer to her, his hand rising upwards to tangle on her blonde locks "Cowering like a beaten puppy, your fear must be delicious too" He leaned down to breath her in and the girl started crying louder "Such a tasty treat"

Elena's mouth opened to shout at him to leave her alone and damned be the consequences but before she could speak the sound of a door banging and heavy stomping feet reverberated in the enclosed space.

"I've always been surprised by how creepy the words coming out of your mouth can sound" Elena's eyes snapped in direction of the voice and she found herself staring at the man people in their world called The Arctic Wolf "I can't say I had missed the sound"

Mikael straightened up, Caroline long forgotten behind him "Son, long time no see" He said casually as his hands went behind his shirt trying to find the gun he probably had stashed in there, only that from Elena's point of view she could not see any gun hidden behind him.

"Not long enough is you ask me," Nikklaus said nonchalantly as he walked further into the room, he threw a conspiring wink in her direction before taking his attention to his father.

Mikael released a shallow laugh as his trembling hands continued searching for a gun that wasn't there "I must say I never thought I'd see you as the Salvatore's lapdog"

Nikklaus moved closer to his father, the corners of his lips tipping up in a satisfied smirk "Don't even try it old man, I am not the same boy you could taunt with your games" He said at the same time he took one of his hands behind his back "It might have taken my too long but I've learned to reign on my impulses" He started circling his father, the other man remained still as his son taunted him. "Didn't you always say they were the one thing that stopped me from being great?" Elena was enraptured by Nikklaus, by the grace in the movements she was sure would prove to be lethal.

"Should I congratulate you?" The words that slipped out his mouth were meant to taunt, his stance nonchalant as he observed his son moving around him but Elena knew better, she saw the slight way his hands trembled and the sweat that accumulated over his upper lip.

He was a cornered animal and he was aware the hunter was meant to strike at any minute.

The younger man released a deep breath, mischief dancing his eyes as he finally stopped walking "No, no. There's only one thing I want from you" He said as he stood a few centimeters away from his father "And that is revenge"

With the skill only a trained killer possessed Nikklaus dug out a thin silver knife from the back of his pants and jabbed it straight into his father's right eye socket.

"You son of a bitch!" Mikael's painful cries mixed with Caroline's scared ones as he doubled over the floor, blood dripping from his face in a gruesome spectacle, Elena was ashamed to admit she found the image exhilarating.

Klaus chuckled darkly before kneeling and grabbing the man by the hair "I think you might have that right, you little bitch" He sneered at the same time he performed almost perfect cuts to the back of the man's knees, the sharp edge cutting through fabric and skin "Tell me, Mikael, do you think you'll die today?" The only response he got was pitiful cries so he smashed his father's face into the dusty wooden floor "Answer me!"

"Yes!"

"Wrong!" He shouted as he leaned into him, Elena felt herself cowering into her spot, the mad rage burning inside Nikklaus eyes was making her feel cold and afraid "You do not get the courtesy of dying today you little piece of shit" He sneered into his father's face as the other man covered his bleeding eye socket with his both hands, the bravado he had showcased in her presence long gone, leaving nothing behind but a pitiful and destroyed man "You'll be alive for a very very long time. You know why?"

Elena saw Mikael's face crumpling in fear and for a fraction of a second felt sorry for the man, if she had learned something over her years growing up with one of the most feared mafia men was that dying quickly was the best you could hope for.

Nikklaus stood up and cleaned his hands against the fabric of his pants, barely contained rage burned behind his clear blue eyes as he towered over the pitiful man on the floor "Because each day you're in my hands I am going to make you live ten times the pain you put my sister through" His right feet went to rest over the other man's stomach "Your daughter, who you tortured and raped and sodomized with your little elite group" He pressed down so heard Elena was sure she heard something crack. "When I am done with you, you're going to wish you were dead and you are going to cry and beg for forgiveness for what you did to your flesh and blood"

Elena stared in horror at the man lying on the floor as she absorbed the words slipping of Nikklaus mouth and what Damon had once told her about the urban legend that was Rebekah Mikaelson, she felt nauseous, repulsed by the mere sight of the perpetrator of so many vile crimes.

Would she have run the same fate as the Mikaelson girl if Damon hadn't entered her life? Was John Gilbert the same kind of monster as Mikael or his depravity didn't reach that far?

Elena watched in horror as Nikklaus pulled out a syringe similar to the one Damon had used on her, the skin of her neck prickling at the sight of it "I am going to eat you up and spit you out and do it all over again every single day. Does it scare you, Mikael? Does it?"

"Yes!"

"Good" The smirk he had on his face as he leaned over him and pierced the skin of his neck with the needle was sinister, Elena was sure that neither she or Caroline would ever forget the sight of it, she thought briefly that it was sure how the devil looked like.

The drug took his effect quickly and Nikklaus proceeded to tear away Mikael's shirt, scrapes of fabric were tied around his knees for preventing the man to bleed out.

Both Elena and Caroline looked at him fixedly, the later one in a state of shock as the tears fell silently down her cheeks now. Nikklaus felt them staring at him and gave Elena an almost sheepish glance "What? I'm not going to let him bleed out, after all, I promised him"

Elena almost laughed at his response but figured it probably wasn't the right time plus now that the imminent danger was over she could feel the throbbing pain in her face where Mikael had hit her.

As if reading her mind somehow, Nikklaus got closer to her, wincing when he noticed the state her face was in "Fuck, Damon is going to want my head for this, you weren't supposed to be harmed"

Elena tried to give him a small smile "I'll put on a word for you"

"You do that"

The sound of screeching tires made their attention snap towards the window at the far end of the room, Elena felt her heart speeding up as the distant sound of police sirens reached her.

Frantic fearful eyes turned to look at Nikklaus who only gave her a crooked smile and a careless shrug "Well shit, it seems like we might have run out of time"


	29. I'd rather watch my kingdom fall

**Hello there!**

**We are finally one chapter away from the ending and I want to thank a minute to thank all of you who have supported me and my story through it all, I know the updates didn't come as soon as with other stories so it meant the world to me to know you were loyal to it to the end.**

**Before we continue with this chapter I want to tell you a bit about my inspiration for the villain in this story. A couple of years ago I was a foreign language teacher for high school kids since I was the teacher closer to them in age they felt confident enough tell me about their lives and things that happened to them daily, it was in one of those classes when they told me about a video online where brutal things are done to a little girl, they hadn't watched the video but read thousands of descriptions about the monstrous behavior depicted on the footage. They were asking themselves how something like that could happen to a child in this modern age. Once I got home I started investigating a bit about this and I discovered that in fact, the video they spoke about was real (though many believed to be only an urban legend) the video had been made by one of the most notorious pedophiles "Peter Scully" I remember reading about everything that lead to it and what was discovered afterward. To this day I still get nauseous whenever I think about this man and everything I read about what he did, about the business he created and the millions of people who paid him to do despicable things to children, my mind is still unable to comprehend how can such evil exist in the world, how someone can be so soulless as to harm children in any way. Child trafficking is one of the most lucrative businesses and to this day it operates all over the world, every time one Peter Scully falls another is ready to rise, it sickens me to know that daily thousands of children fall into hands of predators who are willing to sell their suffering in exchange for money. I think it's important that we keep eyes wide open to this sort of situations, that we protect our children and to also be aware of what our teenagers are watching online, these sort of content shouldn't be available to their eyes, sadly there's nothing we can do about it so I think it's important to supervise in what they are watching in their free time.**

**It isn't my intention to overwhelm you with this author's note, just share a bit of what was in my mind during the writing of this story. In real life true monsters aren't easily vanquished if they ever are at all which is why in my stories I always try to paint things as I would like them to be if the world was the fair place it should be.**

**Enough with my rambling please enjoy and let me know what you think in a review.**

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_"Say it like you mean it, bones become dust._  
_Gold turns to rust, say it like you mean it._

_Underneath a spotlight and all the splintered wood_  
_Nothing here is shining, shining like it should"_

**-Kingdom Fall-**

**.**

**.**

Friedrich Nietzsche once said "Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster…for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss also gazes into you" Damon first heard the words in a philosophy class back in school, to this day he still wasn't sure he fully grasped the intention behind Nietzsche's words but that didn't stop them from haunting him through the years.

He remembers how they swirled inside his head when he found one of John's tapes when he was seventeen, nausea had built up his throat and he had retched into the nearest trashcan, the bones in his body feeling dirty after witnessing such a display of true human abomination.

Damon had grabbed a gun that day, the loaded steel heavy on his hand as he walked towards John's bedroom, Katerina's face and Nietzsche's words plaguing his mind as he sauntered through the cold dark corridors of the mansion.

Long were his nights trying to forget that fateful day when he discovered John's favorite side of the business, the day he saved a little girl barely older than Elena and promised himself his princess would never suffer the same fate. That day as he had watched images so horrendous as the ones he tried to forget play across the screen he had felt the rage he always tried to contain simmer inside, making him stop in front of the heavy oak door that hid the greatest monster he had ever met. One hand hovered above the doorknob while the other gripped the gun tightly, he wanted nothing more than to finally put a stop to everything but something stopped him from doing so, the sound of the wind carrying her carefree laughter up to his ears.

A salvation angel playing in the garden, happy and ignorant to the monster that had sired her, an untainted heart he had vowed to protect. With a clenched jaw and a disgruntled noise Damon walked away from the monster's door, how foolish it had been to walk there with nothing but a simple gun, no plan, no backup.

No.

His impulsive nature was not going to be the end of him, he made that promise to himself at that moment, revenge was a dish best served cold and he would surely get his, one day John Gilbert was going to pay for every single tear he had caused over the years, for every sleepless night he spent outside Elena's door guarding her against the animals that lived in his world, one day the monster that was John Gilbert was going to fall and his princess would have to fear no more.

"_The abyss also gazes into you" _The words swirled in Damon's head as clear as they had done years before, they rumbled inside him as he climbed the ratty old steps of what was once a Bratva safehouse, they burned on his skin as the sound of gunshots reached him from outside.

And as he tumbled down the door to the room Klaus had instructed him, Damon swore the abyss was darker than ever "I thought you knew better than to let this happen" He muttered through clenched teeth to the blonde member of the Mikaelson clan as he walked past him straight into where Elena rested chained to the bed, his gaze zeroing in the purple bruise already formed on her face.

Nikklaus Mikaelson grunted as his gaze moved towards the window in the hallway, frantic blue eyes fixed on what was happening outside "I think we have bigger issues than a few bruises on her pretty little face" He answered.

Damon didn't answer him and instead kneeled in front of Elena, his hand touching the bruise on her cheek briefly before placing a kiss on her forehead, the young girl felt her eyes welling with tears at the tender touch but knew there was no time for crying, their plan was on the move and she needed to be strong to achieve it.

"Are you all right?"

Her response was a shaky smile accompanied by the sound of her sweet voice "I am now" Her murmur was a balm to his soul, to the fire that burned within him and threatened to destroy every single one of his plans.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" He asked as his fingers skimmed over the purple marks on her face "Anywhere I can't see?"

Elena saw the way his jaw clenched and his eyes clouded with a vulnerability she rarely got to see in him, her head moved in a denial sign before she allowed her forehead to drop into his, some of the tears she had wanted to hold on escaping from her eyes. "No, I am fine. They didn't hurt me"

Damon breathed her in for a second before composing himself and moving away from her face "Where the fuck are the keys?" He snapped as he searched for the lock to release Elena from the chains that were bidding her.

"Not in here" Nikklaus answered as his hands busied themselves searching in Mikael clothes "Not want to hurry you up Damon, but you're on schedule"

Damon cursed under his breath seconds before Stefan and Kol Mikaelson stomped into the room, the first one going straight into the blonde tied to a chair and the second one helping his brother to carry their half-dead father's body.

"There's mayhem outside," Kol said and the traces of excitement were evident on his tone "They won't know what hit them" His snarky words were followed by the sound of gunfire exploding outside the window "I've been waiting a long time for this Nikk"

The blonde man nodded absently as his mind seemed to take him somewhere else, their plan to take down John Gilbert's pedophile ring had been their life for the last couple of years, a rope built by intricate threads sew bit by bit over the years, he wondered if once everything was done he would get the satisfaction that he always hoped their demise would bring.

In complete contrast to his almost calm demeanor, Stefan hurried moves managed to free Caroline from her binds, who without even thinking it threw herself into his arms and whispered loving words into his ear, her heart racing at the feel of her lover's arms around her and the safeness they made her feel regardless of who he was.

She was grateful for having him with her once again, providing the safeness that she knew would only be able to find with him from now on, whether she liked it or not Stefan had managed to achieve his goal and make himself a necessity her life.

On the other side of the room, Kol and Nikklaus effortlessly dragged Mikael towards the entrance of the room, the older brother stopping at the threshold to give Damon a warning glance "You're on your own now Salvatore" He said as his eyes scanned the predicament Damon was in "Tic Toc"

The elder Salvatore brother cursed mentally as he watched the Mikaelson brothers disappearing from his sight; somehow the chains around Elena were the one thing he did not foresee, the less important part of his plan was proving to be his downfall.

"It's impossible to stop it now," Stefan said as he approached him, Caroline clinging to his side "They won't allow this place to remain standing, they have too much to—"

"I know!" Damon's shout made Caroline flinch back, her face hiding in Stefan's shoulder as the cacophony of guns firing outside and police sirens blasting reached their ears "Take her, go"

"I won't leave you here!"

"It is an order Stefan!"

The younger Salvatore nodded curtly before releasing a crying Caroline and kneeling to hug his brother, simultaneously his hand found one of Elena's and squeezed softly "This will be the last time I see either of you—whatever the outcome of this is"

"Stefan…"

"I love you, both of you" In what was an uncommon display of emotion Stefan's eyes misted over with tears, his arms releasing his brother so he could place a soft kiss into Elena's cheek "You were always the light in this dark world" He murmured only to her before standing up, one last shared look passed between the brothers before he turned around, grabbing Caroline once again and running towards the door.

Damon watched his brother go with a heavy heart, no matter how hard he had tried to stop their paths from parting he knew it was what needed to be done if he wanted to be happy, if he wanted Elena to be happy, that was of course if he managed to find a way to release her from his hellhole. He felt a deep sense of hopelessness seep into his bones as he tried to unlock the chains around Elena one more time to no avail, he shouted a curse before taking out his gun and aiming towards the lock that bind the chains together to the bed "I need you to close your eyes" He told Elena who nodded at his command, her body shaking with fear "Think we are Jack and Rose"

She laughed nervously "I think we might have a better chance if we were using an ax" Damon grabbed her by the back of her neck and planted a quick passionate kiss into her lips before pulling away and once again aiming the gun towards the lock.

"Three…"

"Two…"

"One…"

* * *

The soles of her feet were raw and burning but she didn't dare to stop, she followed her boyfriend's indications without ever letting go of his hand; her feelings towards him had been a source of conflict during the last couple of days but right now they shinned with the clarity of the sun on a summer morning.

She loved him, despite all his faults she was in love with him, and with his hand laced in hers she felt truly safe.

Perhaps the circumstances turned the scale in his favor, perhaps her feelings were a result of the situation she found herself in, she guessed only time would allow her to sort out the trueness of her feelings, but at the moment nothing in her life was truer than her love for the man holding her hand.

"Come on, there's a window in the back that will get us out of here" Stefan tugged on Caroline's hand with more force than he would have liked it, but the sound of the inferno being unleashed upfront was nearing closer and time was not their friend at the moment.

"What is happening out there Stefan?"

"John and his men were ambushed. The deliver we were supposed to oversee was a trap, he never guessed the mouse falling in the trap was himself"

"Are they going to kill him?"

"No, police got dibs on him and this time we'll let them have the victory. For now, at least"

The words made no sense in Caroline's head just like anything else that had happened since the moment the blindfold fell from her eyes and showed her what the world truly was. "Is my mom out there?" The frightened tone in her voice almost made Stefan stop but he knew if he wanted to have her safe he couldn't afford to lose more time.

"Your mother is a badass Caroline," He told her as he led her down the stairs of the seedy old basement "You have nothing to be afraid of"

The wood cracked as their feet touched the steps; a gush of stale air hit them as they moved further into the old room, coldness surrounded them once they reached the bottom, he didn't even dare to imagine all the horrors the house that once belonged to the Bratva men had witnessed once it fell into the hands of John and Mikael.

Horrors so great that could make a man like himself sick with disgust.

"What about Damon and Elena?"

Stefan closed his eyes briefly as he thought back to his brother and Elena upstairs, he never was a religious man despite their grandmother's desire to teach them the lord's words, foolishly thinking that could somehow save their souls, he imagined that if there was a God up there men like himself were not first on his list and yet he couldn't stop himself from saying a little prayer asking for Damon and Elena's safety, because even if his brother didn't deserve salvation, God knew Elena did.

He was aware of the fact that no matter the outcome of things he would never see Damon and Elena again but he wanted to believe they would somehow find a way to escape that inferno alive.

"Stefan…"

Choosing to ignore Caroline's question he focused on throwing open the window Elijah Mikaelson had instructed before grabbing his girlfriend by the waist and pulling her upwards so she could climb out.

With limbs shaking in fright Caroline managed to crawl out into the woods, branches and dirt marring her skin and tearing up the pink pajamas she had been wearing, she moved on her hands in knees until she was far enough to give Stefan some space to climb out.

"What shall we do now?" The blonde asked as she looked around the vast wood before then. She never got to see the house upfront but after the many rooms and hallways she and Stefan had to run through and how far the sound of gunshots was now she guessed mansion was a more proper term to refer to the property.

Stefan stood up, his hand briefly shaking off the dirt from his jeans before leaning down grabbing her by the elbows and forcing her to stand "Now, we run" He told her "We need to reach the Mikaelson"

"But Elena…"

"She and Damon will be all right, they—"

A gasp escaped her mouth as her ears registered the sound seconds before she saw the side of Stefan's shirt covered in blood, the young man's eyes stared at something behind her before he pulled out his gun in a swift move and fired to discretion, not before receiving another shot himself, the bullet grazing Caroline's arm and tearing up at the skin.

Stefan fell to the floor, his chest heaving with the effort to keep on breathing, the blonde girl looked behind and discovered the unmoving body of Markos, the man who had wanted to kidnap her, wide eyes stared at him in confusion before they filled with tears and moved towards Stefan who was clutching his hand to his chest were now his shirt lay damped in the red liquid.

"Where did he came from?" She asked frantically amid her tears "We didn't see him coming, we never saw—"

"Go" He managed to croak out as he pointed in direction of tall trees with white marks in them "Follow the marks until you reach Nikklaus" He took the gun that was now resting on the floor and placed it on her hand "Take this and just pull the trigger to anyone who isn't Elijah or Nikklaus"

The blonde shook her head while the tears fell freely from her now blotchy and swollen face "No, I won't leave you"

Raw vulnerability shone in the young Salvatore's eyes as he reached to squeeze the girl's hand "Caroline go!"

She denied with her head once more, instead took one of her hands towards his cheek and cupped it tenderly "You're going to be fine, I can help you stand up, you'll—"

"I'm not going anywhere, not anymore" His chest heaved up and down as the horrible sound of his gasp for air filled her ears, blood staining her pajamas from where she was touching his clothes "Run!"

"I can't"

With a bout of inhuman strength, Stefan raised one of his hands towards her face, blood staining her porcelain skin "Yes you can, you can do anything" He told her as his own eyes filled with tears, showing a pain that despite the darkness of his world he had never experienced before "I love you, I love you so much"

"Oh Stefan, I love you too" Her words got chocked out in a sob before she leaned over his body, her lips meeting his briefly before she murmured "I love you and I'm gonna love you, forever"

He smiled against her lips before pulling her away and pushing her to stand "Go!" The blonde did as he ordered this time, sparing one last minute to stare at his lying form on the woods floor; his chest heaving painfully as the blood extended over his shirt and eyes that once had been so bright died down.

She held back the wrenching sobs that wanted to break free from her throat and instead she ran as fast as she could, branches piercing her feet and cutting her arms, limbs aching and chest running out of air but she didn't stop, not until she reached the black SUV and gunfire was a distant sound.

Caroline had seen Nikklaus Mikaelson for the first time only minutes earlier and hours later lying on a hospital bed she would ask herself why she did what she did but at that moment her first instinct was to throw herself into his arms, body heaving with exhaustion and desolation.

He was taken aback by her outburst but didn't let go of her, he held her body tightly against his and caressed her hair in what he tried to be a soothing manner "Caroline? Caroline, where's Stefan, what—"

Whatever was about to leave the blonde man's lips were interrupted by the sound of an explosion. At the startling noise the blonde abandoned the safeness of the man's arms and turned around in time to watch flames climbing high and licking the trees.

"No, no, no!" Her body started trembling as the realization hit her, as she imagined Stefan's abandoned body in the forest, her mother at the front of the house, Elena chained to the bed in that ratty old bedroom, to the flames surely consuming them all, to the inferno she had managed to escape by sheer luck and the help of someone who had loved her.

Overwhelmed by the understanding of the mayhem around her she finally allowed the exhaustion to take her, succumbing to the darkness that wanted to claim her. Her body collapsed as she fainted, the blonde man catching her just in time as he barked orders to the people in the twin SUV around him.

He climbed inside, not without taking one last look to the growing flames behind them, _tic toc_ he had told Damon and though he would never admit it he truly wished the Salvatore Boss had managed to heed his warning, after releasing one last sigh the vehicle drove and mayhem was left behind.

Behind them fire licked each wall of the house that guarded so many secrets, secrets that would never be fully revealed, a house that had seen so much pain and whose walls had forever been tainted with the stains of darkness. A house that became the protagonist of war and saw many lives perish, that witness the demise of a powerful man and had witnessed the fall of an empire as powerful as fire and dirty as the soiled ground.

In the days following the catastrophe papers would report the loss of many lives, the success of years of work strategizing an undercover operative which would grant a New York detective an award and rise in rank, an operative which managed to send behind bars to one of the most powerful men in the city among many others and which also allowed to free hundreds of children overseas.

The papers would also report the extinction of one of the most important families in the city after the explosion that had taken place in the old mansion outside the city had collected the lives of three young people whose only crime was being related to who was now being called "Manhattan Monster". They would be painted as victims, preys of the animals that corrode the world, and people would mourn them before they became nothing but distant memories, tokens of the tragedies people wanted to forget.

They were many who managed to see the light after that fateful day but darkness also made itself present among many of them, because light and darkness will forever go hand in hand, one can never escape the other.

_I'd rather watch my kingdom fall__. __I want it all or not at all.__  
_


	30. Happily Ever After

**Hello there!**

**Well, the end is finally here. I want to take a moment here to share some words with you, I know this will probably be a long author's note but please do read it.**

**I started writing fanfiction back in 2011 and I must admit I wasn't very good but I'm proud to say I think I've gotten better with time. Damon and Elena were the fictional couple that inspired me to create stories, they showed me there was something inside me that wanted to break free and that I had many things to say, for this reason, they will always have a special place in my heart and I will always be grateful to them. If I'm honest when the show ended in 2017 I was really afraid this community was going to break like so many times happens but I'm so happy and touched that after three years we're still here supporting each other.**

**Sadly life gets crazy and hard, I've struggled with fanfiction for the last couple of years because writing is a time-consuming activity and I never want to give you poor quality work or leave you hanging, for this reason, I've decided to step away from the site. I still have so many stories inside me but I just can't find the time and on most days the inspiration to put them to paper. Will this hiatus be permanent? Only time will tell, once already I tried to leave fanfiction but it ended up sucking me in once again, however, I don't think you'll be seeing me around in the near future.**

**So, one last time I want to thank every single one of you for supporting me always. To the ones who have been with me since the beginning and the ones you just started reading, you mean the world to me and your words and encouragement were the thing that put smiles on my face on days life was especially hard so I will always be eternally grateful to you. If you want to find me on social media you can follow me on twitter ( SamC_3)**

**Now please enjoy and do let me know what you think of this last chapter and if the end I gave Damon and Elena was satisfying to you.**

* * *

"And will I tell you that these three lived happily ever after? I will not, for no one ever does. But there was happiness. And they did live."

**-Stephen King-**

**.**

**.**

_7 years later_

_Somewhere in Northern Italy_

_._

The slightly damp air made the tendrils of hair that escaped her French braid cling to her heated skin as she sat in the balcony of their home, her gaze was trained in the bluest sea she had ever known while her teeth bit into a ripe piece of albiccoca and felt the sweet juice drip down her chin in a tasty mess; instead of reaching for a napkin, she used the back of her hand to clean herself and then proceeded to lick the sweetness that had stained her skin.

"If I wouldn't know you any better I would think you are trying to provoke me" The deep laughing voice that spoke from behind her belonged to her husband, she didn't even need to turn around to know his ocean blue eyes were twinkling with mischief.

"You always think everything I do is a provocation" She answered before placing the fruit above the small ceramic plate that rested on top of the small wooden table in front of her.

Her husband approached her, his hands going to the skin of her neck in a soft caress, his thumb playing with the hollow spot in her collarbone "Because it is" His voice was husky as he whispered the words into her ear, her eyes closed as she leaned into his touch.

"Damon…" The words escaped her lips before she could stop herself and felt him smile against her skin, years had gone by since the last time they were allowed to use their real names in public but in the intimacy of their love, they would remain as Damon and Elena forever.

His lips caressed her skin as they traveled the length of her throat until they reached her neck, his hands followed suit and wandered down her body, stopping to cup her heavy breasts and settling on their final destination, the still small but yet prominent bump that was now her once flat stomach.

It took a long time for her to be brave enough to ask for what she desired, a long time for the nightmares to stop and the feeling of being watched over to disappear, weeks had gone by and then months and soon months became years until she felt safe enough to ask him for the one thing she knew he would never deny her.

And now here he was, nestled safely inside her womb, the product of the purest form of love she had ever known. She wanted to believe she had left everything behind and that the fear of being discovered no longer existed but she knew the fear will never truly fade away, some part of her will always be waiting for the other shoe to drop and for this magical dream she woke up in every day to disappear but she couldn't put her life on hold anymore, her heart desired a child and she was tired of letting ghosts from their past stop her from getting what she wanted so she had asked and Damon had agreed.

"Elena…" The sound of her real name on his lips never failed to make her heart speed up as if she was still that silly seventeen-year-old girl who lived for his approval and praise.

His lips moved from her neck up to her cheek, the softness of them making her shiver and lean into his touch, her own hands wandering towards him, her fingers finding the taut skin of his forearms to let him know she wanted to have him in front of her now.

"I missed you today" The words left her lips in a breathy whisper as her eyes opened to find him staring at her, penetrating blue eyes making something coil deep in her tummy.

Damon gave her the wicked smile that made most of the women in their neighborhood swoon before leaning down and scooping her into his arms, a smile of her own matching his as he moved them inside the house towards their room.

"I see someone is a bit eager today" She joked as he placed her gently on the bed, the fabric of the blue sundress she was wearing rode up until it rested mid tight, the sight of her toned legs awaking something primal in him.

"I am always eager for you, sweet wife" He climbed on top of the stark white bedspread, his legs open on each side of her as leaned down to brush his nose against hers, his fingers losing themselves between her thighs until they reached the place he often liked to worship.

"Damon…" His name escaped her in a throaty moan as his fingers played with her in the way she loved the most, her hands finding his face and brining it towards her chest, the scrape of his beard making her tingle all over.

"Again," He asked as he lowered the front of her dress with his teeth, his lips soon finding her rosy nipples, taunting them with a near touch as his fingers continued to play her expertly.

"Damon…" She answered to his command and was rewarded with the lap of his tongue around one of her nipples, his mouth closing in on it and delighting himself as she had done earlier with her fruit. She threw her head back at the strong sensation, her hand gripping his black hair with such force he whimpered into her skin.

Her mouth opened in a gasp, the blood in her veins burning with the desire she had for him "More, I need more" She said as she pulled him away from her chest, a confused expression crossed his features briefly before she pushed at him until he was lying on his back so she could climb on top of him.

"It would seem I am not the only eager one" He jested as she went to work on the buttons on his jeans, hasty fingers that took no time in freeing him, a soft whimper leaving her lips at the sight of him hard and ready for her.

"Shut up Damon" She muttered before she raised her hips and covered him with her heat, a relieved sigh leaving both their lips at the feel of fulfillment they experienced at being joined. "Oh God, Oh God" She repeated as she moved above him, her free breasts bouncing up and down and hypnotizing him with the sight.

"Jesus Elena" He murmured as he felt her clenching around him, one of his hands moved to work on her clit while the other roamed the skin of her thighs, delighting himself in the touch of her skin. Her hands tore open the white shirt he was wearing, her nails digging into his pecs as she leaned over him, her movements frantic as she tried to reach the pleasurable explosion that waited for her.

Damon hissed at the feel of her nails digging into his skin, his passion escalating at the mixture of pleasure and pain, his thrusts speeding up to match hers, his fingers working furiously at her clit as he felt her walls starting to tighten around him "Kiss me" He ordered seconds before he felt her explosion coming over, she fell over him, their lips finding each other as she rode the so much needed pleasure, her walls contracting around him as her lips attacked him with insatiable hunger, triggering his release.

"My God that was fantastic" She murmured minutes afterward, as she lay nestled into him, the dress now long forgotten on the floor next to the rest of his clothes, "I think I'm still trembling"

"Well, I am that good"

"No, I am that good"

He kissed the tip of her nose before sighing tiredly and releasing her from his embrace, he stretched his back and felt the soreness of his muscles; it had been a long day hauling boxes of new merchandise and now that the adrenaline of their lovemaking had died done he could feel the weariness slipping in.

"This pregnancy is turning me into a horny beast so unless you want me to attack you again you better stop exposing yourself to me in such an erotic manner" The words of his wife were accompanied by the soft touch of her hands on the skin of his back.

He chuckled before letting himself fall back into the bed next to her "You don't see me complaining do you?" He asked, "But I don't think I can match your stamina again so soon so how about I run a bath for us?"

She smiled wickedly at him "I think that is the best idea you've had today" She told him as her hands went to his chest, her fingers tracing the indents of his muscles and making something stir inside him "Plus, I don't think your friend agrees with you" Her eyes gestured towards his semi-erect member before she laughed and abandoned the bed, her naked backside on display for him.

"You'll be the death of me Elena" He murmured as he followed her into the bathroom.

He opened the faucet and watched as the water started filling the ivory-colored tub, his wife moved around the bathroom until she found the small glass jar containing her favorite bath salts and poured them over the steaming water. His eyes remained glued to her as she grabbed her long hair and twisted it into a bun at the top of her head, her large breasts bouncing with each move.

She was breathtaking. Elena had always been a startling woman but now without the traces of worry on her face and the roundness of her stomach where she carried their child her beauty had become something ethereal, exquisiteness presented in the shape of a woman.

Sudden as the strike of thunder, the memory of her body chained to a ratty old bed appeared on his mind, the stench of fear surrounding him as he tasted vile at the back of his throat. Those moments remained as the longest of his life, moments where he truly believed doom had reached his door; he didn't fear death a part of him would have welcomed it gladly but Elena deserved to live, deserved to experience all the things that had been denied to her by the mere fact she was born into a crime world.

So he hadn't given up, he had managed to pull her out and into the back of the house just mere seconds away from the explosion that destroyed all evidence that could tie the Mikaelson to illegal activities. A shudder went through his body as he recalled the sight of his brother's lifeless body on the wood's ground, of the blood that bathed him, a symbol of everything that their life had been so far.

"Are you all right?" Her sweet voice snapped him back from the dark place he sometimes went to "You're shaking" She murmured as her arms cradled him to her body, his head resting against her soft chest as his hands went to rest on her round belly.

"Just a bad memory"

She sighed sadly "I know those all too well" She murmured gently before releasing him and cupping the side of his face that showed the remains of their old life "But memories can't hurt us, not really" He smiled back at her marveling at the easiness in which she always managed to calm his fears.

Damon took her hand and helped her into the tub, a breathlessly moan abandoning her lips as she sunk into the hot water, he took his place behind her, her body cradled between his legs.

"Is new merchandise read?" She asked absently as settled into his body, her fingers tracing idly circles in the skin of his thighs.

A deep chuckled left his lips and made his entire chest rumble, Elena's heart soared at the feel of it and the sound reaching her ears, a sound that once upon a time had been so foreign to her ears now filled every crevice of their home on daily basis.

"Now you remember the store"

Elena smiled slightly at thoughts of their small vintage clothes store, their main source of living and the place that gave her heart happiness, things had been hard when they first became Matteo and Emiliya Esposito but little by little things had fallen into place and their life became what she always dreamed it could be, so much that sometimes she feared everything would come to end too soon.

Not wanting to let her dark thoughts dampen their mood, she shifted against his body making her bum caress his member earning a pleasure hiss from his lips in response "It's not my fault you distracted me with your hot body, oh great husband"

Damon threw his head back and laughed, aware of the way his wife wanted to distract him "Yes my dear, everything's is ready for tomorrow" He answered as one of his hands went to rest over her breasts, cupping one and letting his fingers trace gentle circles around her nipple.

Elena sighed to the feel of his playful touch against her body, despite her rising libido she chose to only settle against his body and enjoy the lazy pleasure his touch brought her "I would like to go early with you and afterward stroll a bit through the market to get things ready for dinner" She said, her mind already swirling around ideas for dinner the next day, the night which marked the anniversary of their rebirth.

On her free days Elena loved nothing more than to stroll around one of the small markets of their neighborhood, she got lost in the smells and the colors she saw around her. She didn't know if it was the place or her perspective but since she set foot in Italy as a new person she had the impression that everything around her was heightened, the colors were brighter, the flavors tastier, the people were louder and the sun seemed to shine every single day.

Her happiest days were when after closing their shop Damon would grab her hand and led her towards the beach where they would spend their evenings sinking their feet in the water and splashing each other or meeting their friends in a small bar. Not that their life was all rainbows and sunshine because Damon was still quite an infuriating man and she could be a spoiled brat sometimes, but even in their worst days she always tried to remember their journey together and that no matter how much her husband angered her she knew he loved her and could never be happy with anyone else but him.

Her husband who was now placing a kiss below her ear "I like that idea a lot"

"Oh and Nora brought us some albiccocas, her trees are blooming this year"

Damon grunted in appreciation, his teeth nipping playfully at the tender skin of her earlobe "Oh I noticed the albiccocas all right"

"Perv"

"Only for you"

They remained in silence for a couple of seconds, the quiet sound of the water moving in the tub the only sound that accompanied that warm summer day.

"Damon…" Elena said, a question seemed to be logged on her throat "Do you ever miss it?"

Damon breathed deeply, the image of his brother's body coming back to him as vividly as it had been when he last saw him seven years ago. He didn't know much about what happened to life in their old world after that; he was sure back in Colombia cartels probably fought each other for control over the zones belonging to his grandfather and he didn't care much to know who had succeeded, he knew people all over the world had fallen after John's organization was dismantled and hundreds of children were released from the nightmare they lived in but he was also aware that somewhere out there some other "John" was preparing to rise and that it would continue on and on because the world was a dark and ugly place.

The dark thought still kept him awake some nights.

But the ghost in the name of John Gilbert had disappeared once he was gruesomely murdered in prison, weeks before his mother took a gun to her head and followed the steps of Giuseppe Salvatore. The Gilbert-Salvatore Empire had fallen and was now buried in the ground and the thought of it made satisfaction bloom in his chest.

Thoughts about old dark days left a bitter taste in his mouth, so he tried to push them away as he breathed in the sweet smell of his wife's hair "No, not in the slightest" He answered honestly.

Every morning that he woke up away from that rotten darkness he felt grateful for the new chance life had given him, for the opportunity to rectify his mistakes and though he knew there wasn't enough time in his life to atone for everything he had done, he only hoped God would merciful on him when his time came.

Sensing the unsettling feelings rising in him or perhaps unsettled in her own way, Elena craned her neck slightly until she could stare into his eyes "Me neither, I'm so happy here some days I fear it is nothing but a dream" She confessed before moving her head so she could ghost her lips over his.

"But it's not a dream, is our life" He answered against her lips. With the years the fear of being discovered lessened but it was always there, a present shadow wanting to overcome their sun.

But Damon knew the chances of being found were almost nonexistent, the one person who made their new identities and their new life possible was someone who never left lose endings, someone who he tried to leave out of his thoughts because despite the great trust and care he developed towards him he hoped to never see him again.

He had given them an escape and knew he would take the secret of such escape to his grave and for that Damon will always be grateful.

Tenderness overwhelmed her features "Yes it is" She told him before pecking his lips softly and going back to her position with her back against his chest "I love you, so much"

He sighed into her hair "I love you too Bonita"

During his whole life Damon had known hell was the place he belonged to but by some twist of fate he had been given the chance to experience heaven in the form of the woman now resting in his arms and he will make sure to spend the rest of his life doing the necessary to make her happy and to repay the small miracle that was granted to him when she chose to love him.

.

**THE END**


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